Biolex

Biolex Therapeutics is a biotechnology firm in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. The company focuses on formation of difficult to synthesize proteins in "Lemna", a duckweed. [Goodman Peter S. "In N.C., A Second Industrial Revolution: Biotech Surge Shows Manufacturing Still Key to U.S. Economy [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090201189.html] " Washington Post Monday, September 3, 2007] The duckweeds are a family of small aquatic plants that can be grown in sterile culture. Biolex has developed recombinant DNA technology for efficiently producing pharmaceutical proteins in Lemna. [John R. Gasdaska, David Spencer and Lynn Dickey "Advantages of Therapeutic Protein Production in the Aquatic Plant Lemna" BioProcessing Journal, Mar/Apr 2003.] Therapeutic glycosylated proteins, such as monoclonal antibodies, have been produced by the Lemna system at Biolex. [Cox KM et al. Glycan optimization of a human monoclonal antibody in the aquatic plant Lemna minor. Nat Biotechnol. 2006 Dec;24(12):1591-7.]

Biolex acquired Epicyte Pharmaceutical Inc. on May 6, 2004, and acquired LemnaGene SA of Lyon, France in 2005. [ [http://www.lemnagene.com/communication/biolex_acquires_lemnagene_28_july_2005_for_immediate_release.pdf Biolex Therapeutics Acquires Lemnagene S.A.] ] Biolex is a privately held company backed by Quaker BioVentures, The Trelys Funds, and Polaris Venture Partners. The term "plantibody" is trademarked by Biolex.

References

* [http://www.biolex.com Official site]
* [http://www.mobot.org/jwcross/duckweed/duckweed-genes.htm#GeneticEngineering Background information on production of therapeutic proteins in 'Lemna']