Membrane Micro-Compartments

Introduction

More than two-thirds of all described drug targets are membrane proteins, but only for a small fraction of these hydrophobic proteins is the structure currently known. Membrane proteins are inherently challenging to produce and analyze. Consequently, in pre-clinical investigations, their mechanism and drug interactions are often only derived from purified truncated parts of these proteins, taken out of their native biological context.

Challenges in Membrane Protein Analysis

Lacking the effects of surrounding membrane components, conclusions on drug mechanisms are indecisive. Recent advances in in situ structure determination techniques, i.e., analysis directly within the cellular environment, now have the power to overcome the limitations of classical reconstituted approaches.

Development of a New System

Complementarily, we have developed a system that may facilitate structural analysis of membrane protein drug targets and has large potential for the production of native membrane proteins. This is an essential prerequisite for the study of membrane protein function and drug interactions.

Project Scope

Within the scope of our proposal, we will:

1. Further develop our system.
2. Transfer it into pharmaceutically relevant cell systems.
3. Achieve proof-of-concept.
4. Assess our system with clinically relevant membrane proteins for their suitability to solve 3D structures in complex with clinical drugs.
5. Evaluate its suitability for membrane protein production.

Expected Impact

We are convinced that our approach will have a transformative impact on how drug-membrane protein interactions can be studied and could be exploited for drug development in the pharmaceutical industry.

Commercialization Plan

In the course of the project, we will establish a plan for transforming our system into a business model and commercializing our technology.