Leibniz Universität Hannover Faculty Faculty of Natural Sciences
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Institute of Plant Genetics
 
Institute of Plant Genetics Research Sections Plant Biotechnology
Reinard group
Joint Seminar Northeastern-Leibniz University

Antibodies from Diatoms

Reinard Group Research

We are developing sustainable and vegan solutions by producing high-quality proteins, especially antibodies, in diatoms.

Our research combines molecular biology, synthetic biology, and industrial applications.

Our research focus

Our working group is developing sustainable production systems for recombinant proteins.

Diatoms (also known as siliceous algae) are the clear choice here: they grow quickly, are well established as a production platform, require only light and CO₂, and do not contain any human pathogens. As saltwater organisms, there is no risk of contamination by green algae.

Our primary focus is the production of antibodies. We manufacture antibodies in a wide variety of formats, including "normal" IgG (immunoglobulins) as they occur naturally in various species (humans, mice, rabbits, horses), as well as synthetic variants such as scFvs, nanobodies, or scFv-Fcs. 

Diatoms are the perfect production platform

Our workflow for the use and optimization of P. tricornutum for recombinant protein expression is clear and straightforward.

  1. We clone antibody genes into our special expression vectors.
  2. The gene cassettes produced in this way must be introduced into P. tricornutum.
  3. We select only the strongest production strains, with concentrations reaching up to 200 mg/L.
  4. The purification of heterologously expressed antibodies from P. tricornutum is a precise and efficient process.
  5. A wide range of immunobiochemical methods are used to analyze antibody properties.

Antibodies from diatoms

Antibodies from diatoms have clear advantages over those originally derived from animals:

 

  • It is guaranteed to be completely free of animal testing.
  • This product is guaranteed to be pathogen-free.
  • The quality is consistently high and reliable.
  • It is clear that the glycosylation patterns are homogeneous, which is a significant difference from animal cell cultures.
  • We are producing complex fusion proteins, including secondary nanobodies, which are already being produced with functional horseradish peroxidase. These are essential for ELISAs.
  • There are many antibody formats and applications.
  • We also produce other valuable proteins, such as vegan BSA, in our diatoms.

From basic research to application

  • From basic research to application

    Basic research

    We established our process by adapting and optimizing the molecular mechanisms of gene expression and protein synthesis in P. tricornutum. It was also necessary to adapt the animal's "original genes" for their production in diatoms. These two components now form the foundation of our platform technology.

     

  • Strain development

    Strain development

    The diatom strains used had to be extensively optimized in order to achieve a relevant production output that could compete with that of established animal cell cultures.

    Many adjustments were made to optimize the entire process, from the transcription of the introduced gene to the purification of the heterologously produced antibodies.

  • Process development

    Process development

    Scaling up production volumes from laboratory cultures to industrial production volumes is a key part of our work. This cannot lead to any loss of quality: 

     

    • At the beginning of a research series, we work with culture volumes of 100 mL - 500 mL.
    • To analyze the products, 1 L - 2 L cultures are required.
    • Further analyses require a culture scale of up to 40 L.
    • Our start-up, Phaeosynt GmbH, manufactures industrial production volumes from cultures of up to 200 L.
  • Commercialization

    Commercialization

    The tremendous success of our platform technology led to the creation of Phaeosynt GmbH in 2023, which has its own laboratory facilities since October 2025 following two highly successful investment rounds.

    The first B2C product, the first vegan pregnancy test, hey mela, has been on the market since September 2025. It is available in the product range of major drugstores in Germany. 

    The first B2B products are for diagnostic and research laboratories. Their market launch is planned for 2026/2027.

Current projects

  • Optimizing the production platform.

    Phage display libraries

    We've created our own fully synthetic phage display library to avoid dependence on sequences found in databases. From this library, new antibody candidates can be selected in E. coli within a few weeks. This process requires only the antigen.

  • Efficient transformation and selection

    Efficient transformation and selection

    We are constantly refining our transformation methods and selection systems. This involves the use of some very unusual techniques—at least for research purposes—such as bacterial conjugation, in which DNA from a bacterium is transferred to the diatom, and various other methods.

    We are relying more and more on recombinase-based methods for selection, which will shorten the selection process significantly.

  • Secondary nanobodies

    Secondary nanobodies

    In the BMBF-funded AniSAn project, we are developing innovative secondary antibodies in nanobody format. 

    Our production system allows the complete fusion molecule consisting of nanobody and signal molecule (e.g., horseradish peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase) to be produced in diatoms. This eliminates the need for chemical coupling of the two molecules. This directly impacts the quality of detection.

    Market entry with a larger set of secondary labeled nanobodies is planned for 2026–2027.

     

Join our team

[Translate to English:] Unser Team [Translate to English:] Unser Team [Translate to English:] Unser Team

Our group accepts students studying biology, life sciences, and plant biotechnology. They can complete their thesis with us. We offer exciting topics at the interface of basic research and application, as well as excellent supervision. You will learn modern methods of molecular biology, immunobiochemistry, and synthetic biology, and work on forward-looking projects with direct practical relevance.

The prerequisite for the bachelor's thesis in our team is successful participation in the module "Molecular Biology - Methods and Concepts" (in particular, participation in the internship) and in the module "Bioinformatics." Our team includes international guest scientists and students, so fluency in English is essential.

To apply, submit your current ToR and a letter of motivation. 

@Students from Northeastern University Boston: Contact your Co-op manager at NEU to visit our group. For more information, contact our German exchange students, who can be found in Mugar Hall from October to March. We are looking forward to welcoming you in our lab. Contact me with any questions.

@Students from other universities: We are currently fully occupied with student inquiries from LUH and cannot accept external students into our team.  

 

We do not offer internships shorter than six months.

Last Change: 22.10.25; Michael Senkler Print

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