SBIR Phase I: Production of an affordable synthetic colostrum replacer in edible green algae

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to develop an alternative to the use of antibiotics in agricultural and companion animals. It has recently been demonstrated that the practice of feeding antibiotics to livestock is correlated with the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria that infect humans. For this reason, the FDA has recently introduced a voluntary plan to phase out the use of antibiotics in animals. However, antibiotic use to protect animal health and to promote weight gain is widespread in the livestock industry, and a viable and non-harmful alternative is needed. The proposed technology will allow livestock growers to protect their animals and promote weight gain by feeding edible green algae that have been engineered to produce colostrum proteins. Colostrum proteins are thought to have the same protective effects as antibiotics without the negative side effect of producing antibiotic resistant bacteria. Production of these colostrum proteins in green algae allows for efficient bio-manufacturing, which will meet the scale required to supply livestock producers with a cost effective source of colostrum. Sales of antibiotics for animal health and weight gain are in the billions of dollars each year, and this new approach has the potential to garner a significant share of that market as the industry shifts away from the use of antibiotics. This SBIR project proposes to develop genetically engineered strains of green algae, Chlamydomomas reinhardtii, that produce colostrum proteins. Colostrum proteins are normally ingested into the digestive tract where they exhibit anti-microbial properties. C. reinhardtii has been shown to have the necessary cellular machinery to produce a wide range of complex proteins including monoclonal antibodies, hormones, and others. The goal is to produce several key colostrum proteins in C. reinhardtii that will be fed to livestock as a replacement for antibiotics, and be included in companion animal diets. The proposed research will demonstrate that colostrum proteins produced in algae are bioactive, and will function in the same manner as their natural counterparts. Additionally, the research will produce a media in which to grow edible algae that is safe for animal consumption and promotes the expression of the colostrum protein of interest. Finally, the research will demonstrate that algal expressed colostrum proteins have a beneficial effect on animal health and growth promotion. Together, this research will help demonstrate the feasibility of using algal-expressed colostrum proteins as a replacement for antibiotic use in livestock feeds and promotion of pet health in pet food.