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Cell Line Development

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Empowering biologics production

The Cell Line Development group focus on developing novel platform technologies for the rapid generation of CHO cell lines producing high titer and excellent quality therapeutic antibodies to meet the industrial needs. Throughout the cell line development process, we engineer the cell lines to improve the efficacy of biologics development. We are committed to innovation and quality, making us the ideal partner for your mammalian cell line development projects.


Focus Areas

  • Cell line development for biologics production
  • High throughput antibody engineering for improved developability
  • Precision metabolic engineering for producing high value materials


Our Capabilities

Reduced Time

Reduced time

Obtaining high producing clones within 9 weeks

High Titre

High Titre

High titre of ~5g/L (mabs)

Stable Cell Line

Stable cell line

Stable production >60 generations

Rapid developability screening

Rapid developability screening

Time and cost savings

Customizing gene expression

Customizing gene expression

Customizable vector for altering gene expression

Tailored production of recombinant proteins

Tailored production of recombinant proteins

CHO expression system for producing high-value protein-based materials


Performance of a biosimilar–producing CHO cell line generated using our multi-cistronic vector technology

Titre Graph
High Viable Cell Density

(Data collected in 14-day bioreactor fed-batch cultures)

Our Technologies

“Swap and switch” targeted integration technology

“Swap and switch” targeted integration technology

  • Site-directed: Gene of interest inserted into active recombination sites in genome
  • Precision: Control expression level of multiple genes
  • Simplicity: Reduce complicated process of screening many clones

Multicistronic vector for biologics expression

Multicistronic vector for biologics expression

  • Accuracy: Minimise non-expressing clones with tight selection strategy
  • Enhancement: Enhanced and optimised gene expression

CHO Simultaneous Display and Secretion (CHO SDAP)

CHO Simultaneous Display and Secretion (CHO SDAP)

  • Dual functionality: Simultaneous screening and production in the same host cells
  • Big library size: >10M antibodies

Precision Metabolic Engineering

Precision metabolic engineering

  • Modify antibody function (left): Produce antibodies with specific glycan modifications, which leads to increased ADCC or CDC activity.
  • Customized Heparan sulfate (right): Produced a CHO-derived HS that can increase cell proliferation in ex-vivo human mesenchymal stem cell cultures.

OUR TRACK RECORD

Featured publications:

  • Tran Bich Ngan Nguyen, Jianer Lin, Shi Jie Tay, Jessna Yeo, Terry Nguyen-Khuong and Yuansheng Yang (2021) Multiplexed engineering glycosyltransferase genes in CHO cells via targeted integration for producing antibodies with diverse complex-type N-glycans. Scientific Reports 11(1): 12969.
  • Jessna Yeo, Mariati and Yuansheng Yang (2018) An IRES-Mediated Tricistronic Vector for Efficient Generation of Stable, High-Level Monoclonal Antibody Producing CHO DG44 Cell Lines. Methods in Molecular Biology, 1827: 335–349.
  • Jessna Yeo, Steven Ho, Mariati, Esther Koh, Shi Jie Tay, Susanto Woen, Peiqing Zhang and Yuansheng Yang (2017) Optimized Selection Marker and CHO Host Cell Combinations for Generating High Monoclonal Antibody Producing Cell Lines. Biotechnology Journal 12(12): 10.1002/biot.201700175.
  • Jian'er Lin, Shu Hui Neo, Steven C. L. Ho, Jessna H. M. Yeo, Tianhua Wang, Wei Zhang, Xuezhi Bi, Sheng-Hao Chao and Yuansheng Yang (2017) Impact of Signal Peptides on Furin-2A Mediated Monoclonal Antibody Secretion in CHO Cells. Biotechnology Journal 12(9): 10.1002/biot.201700268
  • Steven Ho, Esther Koh, Benjamin Soo, Mariati, Sheng-Hao Chao and Yuansheng Yang (2016) Evaluating the use of a CpG free promoter for long-term recombinant protein expression stability in Chinese hamster ovary cells. BMC Biotechnology 16(1): 71

Landmark patent & IP:

  • Novel promoters for high level expression (2020)
  • Modified human CMV promoters that are resistant to gene silencing (2015)
  • IRES mediated multicistronic vectors (2014)

The Team

Yang Yuansheng

Dr Yang Yuansheng

yang_yuansheng@bti.a-star.edu.sg
Senior Principal Scientist I

PhD in Chemical Engineering (2005) Vanderbilt University, USA

Research Focus / Interest

  • Vector design, cell line development, cell engineering, and bioprocess development to enhance production of recombinant protein production in mammalian cells
Foong Choon Pin

Dr Foong Choon Pin

foong_choon_pin@bti.a-star.edu.sg
Scientist

PhD in Microbial Biotechnology (2016), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Research Focus / Interest

  • Engineering mammalian cells for the production of recombinant antibodies
Loh Han Ping

Dr Loh Han Ping

loh_han_ping@bti.a-star.edu.sg
Scientist

PhD in Biological Sciences (2019), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Research Focus / Interest

  • Cell line development for the production of heparan sulphate/ heparin in mammalian cells
Wong Yu Qian

Dr Wong Yu Qian

wong_yu_qian@bti.a-star.edu.sg
Scientist

PhD in Biochemistry (2016), National University of Singapore, Singapore

Research Focus / Interest

  • Nanobody discovery, engineering and production
  • Bispecific antibody engineering

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