Domestic Research Team Successfully Develops Dairy Cow Treatment and Pig Vaccine with 33% Reduced Production Costs

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 10th that a research team at Konkuk University has developed a 'mass production technology for natural substance-based antimicrobial and bacterial toxin peptides' that can contribute to controlling livestock diseases.

Until now, the high production cost of antimicrobial and bacterial toxin peptides made mass production difficult, and there was a lack of genetically engineered technologies with industrial applicability. However, the research team solved these problems. The breakthrough in peptide production was achieved by using biotechnologically modified green fluorescent protein and fast-growing Escherichia coli.

The research team succeeded in mass-producing peptides by inserting a substance combining peptides and green fluorescent protein into E. coli, and enhanced industrial applicability by applying the expression and purification technology from laboratory (Flask) scale to bioreactor scale. When applying the self-developed technology, production efficiency was ten times higher than before, and costs were reduced by about 33%. The production cost, which was previously around 2.83 million KRW per gram, can be lowered to approximately 1.9 million KRW with the new technology.

The research team achieved high-level research outcomes, filing international patents (United States, Europe, China) as well as domestic ones, and was recognized by being selected among the top 100 excellent results of the national research and development projects in 2020.

Using the developed technology, the research team developed a prototype ointment for treating mastitis in dairy cows, and production facilities and equipment for mass production are being established. Prototype vaccines for pig edema disease and pleuropneumonia have also been developed. In addition, the excellence of the research outcomes has been recognized through a technology transfer contract worth 90 million KRW with an industrial company.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.