Circular mRNA boosts microbial protein output sixfold
A new synthetic biology method converts easily degraded mRNA into a ring form inside microbes, raising protein yields up to six times.
Messenger RNA is naturally linear and fragile, so it breaks down quickly inside cells. That instability limits how much protein a cell can manufacture from a given genetic instruction. A team working in synthetic biology has now found a way to convert mRNA into a circular form directly inside microbial cells, protecting it from rapid degradation.
According to the report, this circular mRNA allowed the engineered microbes to produce up to six times as much protein as they would with conventional linear mRNA. The approach is aimed at improving "cell factories"—microbes used to make proteins for medicines, industrial enzymes, and other products.
The work is still at the research stage, but the reported gains suggest a practical route to making biomanufacturing more efficient. Because the circularization happens inside the cell, it avoids the need to synthesize circular RNA externally and deliver it, which could simplify the production process.
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