Gene Expression services

NIZO food research has more than 20 years of experience in the application of genetic engineering in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and especially Lactococcus lactis. Genetic engineering has been used to analyze and optimize the properties of a wide variety of LAB and for the construction of strains that produce bacterial and eukaryotic proteins, polysaccharides or various metabolites.
Next to L. lactis, extensive expertise is present for Lactobacillus plantarum, Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lb. reuteri, Streptococcus thermophilus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Bacillus subtilis.

From this experience NIZO food research offers the following Services:

 1. Contract research projects in all areas of gene expression and genomics of LAB

 - Test your gene in Lactococcus lactis !!

 - The NICE system – NIsin Controlled gene Expression in Lactococcus lactis
 - Expression of membrane proteins in L. lactis
 - 3000-L-scale expression and purification of lysostaphin using the NICE system 
 

For more information contact Igor Mierau: igor.mierau@nizo.nl

2. Access to strains and plasmids for gene expression in Lactococcus lactis and in Bacillus subtilis

Lactococcus lactis
- NIsin Controlled gene Expression – NICE: strains and plasmids

- Basic protocols (Media and growth conditions, Preparation of stocks, Plasmid isolation, Plasmid transformation, Food grade selection, Nisin induction)

- How to obtain strains and plasmids?
1. Academic institutions
Strains and plasmids can be obtained from MoBiTec, the official distributor of the NICE system.

2. Commercial enterprises
To obtain strains and plasmids, a research license needs to be negotiated which involves a fixed yearly fee. When the material is used for production purposes a second license has to be negotiated.

For license agreements please contact:
Koos Oosterhaven: koos.oosterhaven@nizo.nl

- Patent references

Method for controlling the gene expression in lactis acid bacteria - EP0712935
Process for selecting and maintaining recombinant DNA in lactic acid bacteria – EP0355036
Methods for preparing proteins using transformed lactic acid bacteria – EP0228726