Recently, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued two safety certificates for production and application of recombinant chicken interferon-γ and cat interferon-ω expressed by silkworm baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) to Biotechnology Research Institute of CAAS., indicating that the scope of production of animal genetically engineered products employing silkworm bioreactor platform has been further broadened.

    With rapid development of livestock and poultry farming industries, outbreaks of viral pathogens have posed significant threat and caused huge economic losses. Interferons, as antiviral, anti-tumor and immune boosters, possess the ability to effectively resist viral infections in animals. They can be utilized as an effective substitute for antibiotics that are widely used in animal rearing industry.

    The innovative team of microbial protein engineering in Biotechnology Research Institute, CAAS has successfully expressed recombinant chicken interferon-γ in silkworm bioreactor platform. The product has the advantages of enhanced biological activity, lower production cost and oral administration. It has greater potential to enhance efficiency and quality of poultry industry. Also, it has future prospects to be employed commercially in animal farming industry.

    The team also utilized silkworm bioreactor technology system for prevention and control of pet animal diseases. The safety certificate obtained for production of cat interferon-ω, is the first time in China, which can be employed to treat canine parvoviruse disease, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency diseases. The expression efficiency of recombinant cat interferon-ω (20 million IU per silkworm pupa) expressed by silkworm markedly reduced the production cost. It demonstrates its significant potential and competitiveness in expanding pet interferon market in China.

    Silkworm bioreactor has several advantages, such as biological safety, higher expression efficiency, low production cost, enhanced biological activity, simple processing, no industrial wastes, etc. Up till now, silkworm bioreactor platform has obtained seven safety certificates for production and application of genetically engineered products for animals issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. At present, significant progress has been made in silkworm (Bombyx mori) derived foot-and-mouth disease virus like particles (FMD VLPs), porcine circovirus, porcine parvovirus, rabbit fever, mink enteritis virus VLPs vaccine and series of interferons (type I, II, III) for all major animals of economic significance.