Oxford Expression Technologies Ltd. (OET)
Simplifying the Production of Recombinant Protein

Headquartered in Oxfordshire, Oxford Expression Technologies Ltd. (OET) is a biotechnology company and centre of excellence for recombinant protein expression. “Whether clients want to produce a single protein in their own lab using one of our kits or use our bespoke services to make and purify quantities of proteins for them or access our technology to make a vaccine or therapeutic protein—we can help them in all aspects with our expertise and acumen,” says Professor Robert Possee, the CEO and co-founder of Oxford Expression Technologies Ltd. (OET).

At its core, OET offers flashBAC™ technology that greatly simplifies the production of high quality recombinant protein in insect cells. “In layman’s terms, it is like buying an instant cake mix as opposed to making one from basic ingredients. Essentially, we have deskilled the process,” mentions Professor Linda King, co-founder, OET. This has two consequences. Firstly, newcomers to the technology can readily adopt it in their own laboratories. Secondly, OET can use it in-house to produce recombinant proteins rapidly and thus reduce operating costs owing to less staff time being required enabling OET to offer its services at competitive prices. In a nutshell, flashBAC™ technology is amenable to mass production of protein targets, whereas, in the early days, it was only feasible to attempt one or two at a time. This opens up the way to studying protein function via the generation of mutants for simultaneous analysis. More importantly, one company has developed a COVID-19 vaccine using flashBAC™ technology, which has recently completed Phase 3 trials successfully. The UK government has also pre-ordered several million doses.

What differentiates OET from other players in the market is the extensive experience that the two founders hold. They have been active in baculovirus research and the development of the expression vectors since the 1980s. The duo has built a team of experts some of which have been working in OET since its inception. Together they have a wealth of experience in recombinant protein production that is probably unrivalled worldwide. “While always open to new ideas, when clients request the production of a particular protein it is likely that we will have some experience of a similar target. We are also active in developing new products based on this experience and that of our clients. These can be brought to market, which is sometimes difficult for academic labs engaged in innovative research. We are able to bridge the “valley of death” effectively. It can be quite challenging to take a novel concept/product to a point where it can employed by a non-specialist,” Linda adds.

While always open to new ideas, when clients request the production of a particular protein it is likely that we will have some experience of a similar target

Further, being a small and nimble company gives OET an advantage over larger companies in that clients can have direct contact with staff scientists undertaking their projects. “We can organize online meetings very quickly to discuss progress. In the early stages of a project, we can offer advice on gene expression strategies,” says Professor Possee. He further mentions that OET is often presented with a gene target and the request, “we need xx milligrams of protein.” From that starting point, the company designs the project in detail and is also flexible in changing the specification of a project at a mid-point if required. All of the quotations for work are presented in phases so that OET can offer alternatives if needed.

OET is currently within the Bioinnovation Hub at Oxford Brookes University. In the next five years, the company is planning to move to a larger facility for broadening the scope of research. “We also see ourselves signing more license deals with other companies to use our proprietary flashBAC™ vectors and cell lines,” concludes Professor Possee.