Leverkusen campus receives highly efficient cell sorter
The Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences can use a highly efficient cell sorter (fluorescence-activated cell sorting; FACS) to select mammalian cell clones for the production of vaccine prototypes. Prof. Dr. Jörn Stitz acquired the funds for the purchase of the large-scale device in connection with the funded EVIT research project.
A cell sorter with four lasers enables the simultaneous detection of four antigens with four specific antibodies coupled to four individual fluorophores.
(Image: Jörn Stitz/ TH Köln)
Within the framework of EVIT (“Development of a new VLP vaccine platform and innovative techniques for production, concentration and characterization”), mammalian cell lines are being developed that produce virus-like particles (VLPs) as the basis for new vaccines.
Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) based vaccines can consist of a variety of different components. In addition to the viral core proteins, which are required to form the particles, one or more target proteins (antigens) can be presented on the enveloping membrane, against which a strong immune response is formed in vaccinees.
The expression of these antigens can be detected by means of specific antibodies on their cell surface. If these antibodies are each conjugated with different fluorophores, this enables the enrichment of cell clones that express single or multiple VLP antigens in large quantities (see figure). Such a process increases production efficiency and reduces production costs.
The highly efficient cell sorter has four lasers and thus enables the simultaneous detection of four antigens with four specific antibodies coupled to four individual fluorophores.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the purchase of the large-scale device with €100,000.00.
Research at universities of applied sciences
(Image: Projektträger Jülich)
April 2024