Imagine a future where therapies are custom-built for the human body from the ground up. That future just got closer with PROTEUS—a new platform from Australian scientists that brings directed protein evolution into mammalian cells.
Developed at Sydney's Centenary Institute in partnership with the University of Sydney, PROTEUS uses virus-like particles to introduce targeted mutations and select for high-performance proteins directly in human-cell environments. "Directed evolution is powerful, but bacteria or yeast don’t capture the complexity of human cells," explains Daniel Hesselson, joint senior author and head of the Center for Biomedical AI at the Centenary Institute.
PROTEUS has already delivered early wins: researchers enhanced a gene-regulating protein and evolved a nano-body that spots DNA damage—a crucial advance in cancer research. Published in Nature Communications, these proof-of-concept studies show how tailored proteins could revolutionize gene therapy and next-gen treatments.
"By evolving proteins where they’ll ultimately act, we’re setting the stage for smarter, safer therapies," says Alex Cole, joint first author. As scientists, startups, and pharma labs worldwide explore PROTEUS, the biotech scene is poised for a leap forward in designing treatments with real-world impact.
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New platform transforms protein evolution for next-gen therapies
cgtn.com
