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Masson HO, Samoudi M, Robinson CM, Kuo CC, Weiss L, Shams Ud Doha K, Campos A, Tejwani V, Dahodwala H, Menard P, Voldborg BG, Robasky B, Sharfstein ST, Lewis NE. Inferring secretory and metabolic pathway activity from omic data with secCellFie. Metab Eng 2024; 81:273-285. [PMID: 38145748 PMCID: PMC11177574 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Understanding protein secretion has considerable importance in biotechnology and important implications in a broad range of normal and pathological conditions including development, immunology, and tissue function. While great progress has been made in studying individual proteins in the secretory pathway, measuring and quantifying mechanistic changes in the pathway's activity remains challenging due to the complexity of the biomolecular systems involved. Systems biology has begun to address this issue with the development of algorithmic tools for analyzing biological pathways; however most of these tools remain accessible only to experts in systems biology with extensive computational experience. Here, we expand upon the user-friendly CellFie tool which quantifies metabolic activity from omic data to include secretory pathway functions, allowing any scientist to infer properties of protein secretion from omic data. We demonstrate how the secretory expansion of CellFie (secCellFie) can help predict metabolic and secretory functions across diverse immune cells, hepatokine secretion in a cell model of NAFLD, and antibody production in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen O Masson
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Chih-Chung Kuo
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Linus Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Km Shams Ud Doha
- Proteomics Core, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alex Campos
- Proteomics Core, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Vijay Tejwani
- College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Hussain Dahodwala
- College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Patrice Menard
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Bjorn G Voldborg
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark; National Biologics Facility, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Susan T Sharfstein
- College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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2
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Yoon C, Baek KE, Kim D, Lee GM. Mitigating transcriptional bottleneck using a constitutively active transcription factor, VP16-CREB, in mammalian cells. Metab Eng 2023; 80:33-44. [PMID: 37709006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
High-level expression of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells has long been an area of interest. Inefficient transcription machinery is often an obstacle in achieving high-level expression of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells. Synthetic promoters have been developed to improve the transcription efficiency, but have achieved limited success due to the limited availability of transcription factors (TFs). Here, we present a TF-engineering approach to mitigate the transcriptional bottlenecks of recombinant proteins. This includes: (i) identification of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) as a candidate TF by searching for TFs enriched in the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-driven high-producing recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cell lines via transcriptome analysis, (ii) confirmation of transcriptional limitation of active CREB in rCHO cell lines, and (iii) direct activation of the transgene promoter by expressing constitutively active CREB at non-cytotoxic levels in rCHO cell lines. With the expression of constitutively active VP16-CREB, the production of therapeutic proteins, such as monoclonal antibody and etanercept, in CMV promoter-driven rCHO cell lines was increased up to 3.9-fold. VP16-CREB was also used successfully with synthetic promoters containing cAMP response elements. Taken together, this strategy to introduce constitutively active TFs into cells is a useful means of overcoming the transcriptional limitations in recombinant mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chansik Yoon
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung Eun Baek
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongil Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyun Min Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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Sinegubova MV, Orlova NA, Vorobiev II. Promoter from Chinese hamster elongation factor-1a gene and Epstein-Barr virus terminal repeats concatemer fragment maintain stable high-level expression of recombinant proteins. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16287. [PMID: 37901457 PMCID: PMC10607201 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line is the main host for the high-titer production of therapeutic and diagnostic proteins in the biopharmaceutical industry. In most cases, plasmids for efficient protein expression in CHO cells are based on the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. The autologous Chinese hamster eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1α (EEF1A1) promoter is a viable alternative to the CMV promoter in industrial applications. The EEF1A1 promoter and its surrounding DNA regions proved to be effective at maintaining high-level and stable expression of recombinant proteins in CHO cells. EEF1A1-based plasmids' large size can lead to low transfection efficiency and hamper target gene amplification. We hypothesized that an efficient EEF1A1-based expression vector with a long terminal repeat fragment from the Epstein-Barr virus (EBVTR) could be truncated without affecting promoter strength or the long-term stability of target gene expression. Methods We made a series of deletions in the downstream flanking region of the EEF1A1 gene, and then in its upstream flanking region. The resulting plasmids, which coded for the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), were tested for the level of eGFP expression in the populations of stably transfected CHO DG44 cells and the stability of eGFP expression in the long-term culture in the absence of selection agents. Results It was shown that in the presence of the EBVTR fragment, the entire downstream flanking region of the EEF1A1 gene could be excluded from the plasmid vector. Shortening of the upstream flanking region of the EEF1A1 gene to a length of 2.5 kbp also had no significant effect on the level of eGFP expression or long-term stability. The EBVTR fragment significantly increased expression stability for both the CMV and EEF1A1 promoter-based plasmids, and the expression level drop during the two-month culture was more significant for both CMV promoter-based plasmids. Conclusion Target protein expression stability for the truncated plasmid, based on the EEF1A1 gene and EBVTR fragment, is sufficient for common biopharmaceutical applications, making these plasmid vectors a viable alternative to conventional CMV promoter-based vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria V. Sinegubova
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadezhda A. Orlova
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan I. Vorobiev
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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Masson HO, Samoudi M, Robinson CM, Kuo CC, Weiss L, Doha KSU, Campos A, Tejwani V, Dahodwala H, Menard P, Voldborg BG, Sharfstein ST, Lewis NE. Inferring secretory and metabolic pathway activity from omic data with secCellFie. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.04.539316. [PMID: 37205389 PMCID: PMC10187314 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.04.539316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Understanding protein secretion has considerable importance in the biotechnology industry and important implications in a broad range of normal and pathological conditions including development, immunology, and tissue function. While great progress has been made in studying individual proteins in the secretory pathway, measuring and quantifying mechanistic changes in the pathway's activity remains challenging due to the complexity of the biomolecular systems involved. Systems biology has begun to address this issue with the development of algorithmic tools for analyzing biological pathways; however most of these tools remain accessible only to experts in systems biology with extensive computational experience. Here, we expand upon the user-friendly CellFie tool which quantifies metabolic activity from omic data to include secretory pathway functions, allowing any scientist to infer protein secretion capabilities from omic data. We demonstrate how the secretory expansion of CellFie (secCellFie) can be used to predict metabolic and secretory functions across diverse immune cells, hepatokine secretion in a cell model of NAFLD, and antibody production in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen O. Masson
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Chih-Chung Kuo
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Linus Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Km Shams Ud Doha
- Proteomics Core, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alex Campos
- Proteomics Core, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Vijay Tejwani
- College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Hussain Dahodwala
- College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY, USA
- Present address: National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Patrice Menard
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Bjorn G. Voldborg
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- National Biologics Facility, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Susan T. Sharfstein
- College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Nathan E. Lewis
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Spatial Proteomics Reveals Differences in the Cellular Architecture of Antibody-Producing CHO and Plasma Cell-Derived Cells. Mol Cell Proteomics 2022; 21:100278. [PMID: 35934186 PMCID: PMC9562429 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2022.100278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Most of the recombinant biotherapeutics employed today to combat severe illnesses, for example, various types of cancer or autoimmune diseases, are produced by Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. To meet the growing demand of these pharmaceuticals, CHO cells are under constant development in order to enhance their stability and productivity. The last decades saw a shift from empirical cell line optimization toward rational cell engineering using a growing number of large omics datasets to alter cell physiology on various levels. Especially proteomics workflows reached new levels in proteome coverage and data quality because of advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry instrumentation. One type of workflow concentrates on spatial proteomics by usage of subcellular fractionation of organelles with subsequent shotgun mass spectrometry proteomics and machine learning algorithms to determine the subcellular localization of large portions of the cellular proteome at a certain time point. Here, we present the first subcellular spatial proteome of a CHO-K1 cell line producing high titers of recombinant antibody in comparison to the spatial proteome of an antibody-producing plasma cell-derived myeloma cell line. Both cell lines show colocalization of immunoglobulin G chains with chaperones and proteins associated in protein glycosylation within the endoplasmic reticulum compartment. However, we report differences in the localization of proteins associated to vesicle-mediated transport, transcription, and translation, which may affect antibody production in both cell lines. Furthermore, pairing subcellular localization data with protein expression data revealed elevated protein masses for organelles in the secretory pathway in plasma cell-derived MPC-11 (Merwin plasma cell tumor-11) cells. Our study highlights the potential of subcellular spatial proteomics combined with protein expression as potent workflow to identify characteristics of highly efficient recombinant protein-expressing cell lines. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD029115.
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Dahodwala H, Amenyah SD, Nicoletti S, Henry M, Lees-Murdock DJ, Sharfstein ST. Evaluation of site-specific methylation of the CMV promoter and its role in CHO cell productivity of a recombinant monoclonal antibody. Antib Ther 2022; 5:121-129. [PMID: 35719211 PMCID: PMC9199181 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbac010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that increased monoclonal antibody productivity in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)-amplified CHO cells correlates with phosphorylated transcription factor-cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter interactions. In this article, we extend the characterization to include CMV promoter methylation and its influence on NFκB and CREB1 transcription factor binding to the CMV promoter in two families of DHFR-amplified CHO cell lines. CMV promoter methylation was determined using bisulfite sequencing. To overcome Sanger-sequencing limitations due to high CG bias and multiple transgenes copies, pyrosequencing was used to determine the frequency of methylated cytosines in regions proximal to and containing the NFκB and CREB1 transcription-factor consensus binding sites. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed to interrogate transcription factor–DNA interactions. Antibodies to CREB1 and NFκB were used to immunoprecipitate formaldehyde-crosslinked protein-DNA fractions, followed by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to quantitate the number of copies of CMV-promoter DNA bound to the various transcription factors. The relative unmethylated fraction at the CREB1 and NFκB consensus binding sites determined by pyrosequencing was correlated with transcription factor binding as determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Azacytidine treatment reduced methylation in all treated samples, though not at all methylation sites, while increasing transcription. Distinct promoter methylation patterns arise upon clonal selection in different families of cell lines. In both cell line families, increased methylation was observed upon amplification. In one family, the NFκB binding-site methylation was accompanied by increased CREB1 interaction with the promoter. In the other cell line family, lower methylation frequency at the NFκB consensus binding site was accompanied by more NFκB recruitment to the promoter region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussain Dahodwala
- National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Sophia D Amenyah
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Sarah Nicoletti
- College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, New York USA
| | - Matthew Henry
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Diane J Lees-Murdock
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Susan T Sharfstein
- College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, New York USA
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7
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The potential of emerging sub-omics technologies for CHO cell engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107978. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Bryan L, Clynes M, Meleady P. The emerging role of cellular post-translational modifications in modulating growth and productivity of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 49:107757. [PMID: 33895332 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are one of the most commonly used host cell lines used for the production human therapeutic proteins. Much research over the past two decades has focussed on improving the growth, titre and cell specific productivity of CHO cells and in turn lowering the costs associated with production of recombinant proteins. CHO cell engineering has become of particular interest in recent years following the publication of the CHO cell genome and the availability of data relating to the proteome, transcriptome and metabolome of CHO cells. However, data relating to the cellular post-translational modification (PTMs) which can affect the functionality of CHO cellular proteins has only begun to be presented in recent years. PTMs are important to many cellular processes and can further alter proteins by increasing the complexity of proteins and their interactions. In this review, we describe the research presented from CHO cells to date related on three of the most important PTMs; glycosylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bryan
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Martin Clynes
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Paula Meleady
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
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Carrara SC, Ulitzka M, Grzeschik J, Kornmann H, Hock B, Kolmar H. From cell line development to the formulated drug product: The art of manufacturing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Int J Pharm 2020; 594:120164. [PMID: 33309833 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.120164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and related products have steadily grown to become the dominant product class within the biopharmaceutical market. Production of antibodies requires special precautions to ensure safety and efficacy of the product. In particular, minimizing antibody product heterogeneity is crucial as drug substance variants may impair the activity, efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic properties of an antibody, consequently resulting in the failure of a product in pre-clinical and clinical development. This review will cover the manufacturing and formulation challenges and advances of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, focusing on improved processes to minimize variants and ensure batch-to-batch consistency. Processes put in place by regulatory agencies, such as Quality-by-Design (QbD) and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and how their implementation has aided drug development in pharmaceutical companies will be reviewed. Advances in formulation and considerations on the intended use of a therapeutic antibody, including the route of administration and patient compliance, will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania C Carrara
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany; Ferring Darmstadt Laboratory, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Michael Ulitzka
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany; Ferring Darmstadt Laboratory, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Julius Grzeschik
- Ferring Darmstadt Laboratory, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Henri Kornmann
- Ferring International Center SA, CH-1162 Saint-Prex, Switzerland
| | - Björn Hock
- Ferring International Center SA, CH-1162 Saint-Prex, Switzerland.
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
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10
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LC-MS/MS-based quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis of CHO-K1 cells adapted to growth in glutamine-free media. Biotechnol Lett 2020; 42:2523-2536. [DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-02953-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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11
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Atanasov AG. Cardioprotection by black pepper, genome edited crops safety, mobile-based inflammation assay, and other biotech research updates. CURRENT RESEARCH IN BIOTECHNOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crbiot.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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