AMECRYS
TITLE:
Revolutionizing Downstream Processing of Monoclonal Antibodies by Continuous Template–Assisted Membrane Crystallization (AMECRYS)
FINANCING SCHEME:
It is a research project funded under the Horizon 2020 programme, in the framework of Future and Emerging Technologies actions. H2020-FETOPEN-2014-2015/H2020-FETOPEN-2014-2015-RIA
Grant agreement n.712965
Funding for the Institute of Crystallography: 200674,00 €
Total budget of the project: 3533813,75 €
SHORT DESCRIPTION AND USEFUL INFO:
Project Website: http://www.amecrys-project.eu/
The AMECRYS project aims to revolutionize the current industrial production processes of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by the production of continuous
membrane crystallizers, capable of separating and purifying biological macromolecules directly into their culture broth. This will save about 60% of current mAbs production costs. The mAbs crystallization directly from a multi-component solution has never been realized and represents the most ambitious challenge that researchers will face during the project, starting with three strengths: the efficiency of technology-based crystallization technology of engineered membranes, the ability to induce selective crystallization through appropriately functional nanomaterials, the pharma-on-a-chip approach by means of microfluidic devices specially designed for continuous flow crystallization. This strategy will be supported by a detailed analysis of crystalline properties and intense computational effort to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the crystallization process and to study the relationship between the multiple experimental variables and the crystallization results.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:
Coordinator: GIANLUCA DI PROFIO
National Research Council of Italy (CNR)
Institute on Membrane Technology (ITM)
Via P. Bucci, Cubo 17/C c/o Università della Calabria
87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Tel.: +39 0984 492010/492014; Fax: +39 0984 402103
E-mail: g.diprofioATitm.cnr.it
Responsible for the Institute of Crystallography: ROCCO CALIANDRO
National Research Council of Italy (CNR)
Institute of Crystallography (IC)
Via G, Amendola 122/o
70126 Bari (BA), Italy
Tel.: +39 0805929150; Fax: +39 0805929170
E-mail: rocco.caliandroATic.cnr.it