AzarGen Biotechnologies, specializing in plant-based biomanufacturing, presents a series of tailor-made synthetic promoters with superior performance compared to ‘benchmark’ promoters such as the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV) 35S promoter and the RuBisCo small subunit promoter.

AZprom? shows a dramatic increase in the expression of fluorescent proteins, outperforming the ‘double-enhancer’ CaMV 35S promoter more than 5-fold in transgenic tobacco plants.

Unlike native promoter sequences from plant or viral origin, the AZprom? promoters are engineered to achieve exceptionally high expression levels, in both transient and transgenic expression systems, offering a transformative solution in the fields of cultivated meat, therapeutics, biofuels, carbon capturing, and biomaterials.

AZprom? technology is versatile and adaptable, capable of driving the expression of genes in both dicot and monocot plants. This flexibility does not only streamline the production of complex biologics but also contributes to reducing transcriptional gene silencing, a common challenge in plant genetic engineering. By ensuring stable and high-level gene expression, AZprom? enhances the overall productivity and reliability of plant-based biomanufacturing.

Mauritz Venter, CEO of AzarGen comments: “These results highlight the potential of AZprom? as an enabling synthetic biology platform to revolutionize molecular farming, particularly in nascent bioeconomies. AZprom? could improve the scope and viability of biomanufacturing high-value and alternative recombinant proteins.”

About AzarGen

AzarGen is a biotechnology company focused on developing high-value recombinant proteins using the company’s proprietary synthetic promoter platform, which enables enhanced gene expression in plants for biomanufacturing applications in biopharmaceuticals, biomaterials, cellular agriculture and biofuels. AzarGen owns two patent families relating to the company's respiratory therapeutic candidate and synthetic promoter technology. The AzarGen management team has extensive experience in plant biotechnology, genetic engineering, synthetic biology and human genetics, and is supported by an experienced advisory board. Based in Stellenbosch, South Africa, AzarGen is backed by South Africa’s Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).