Nuclera expands eProtein Discovery capabilities to enable membrane protein production

• Membrane proteins synthesized and purified within 48 hours.
• Active membrane transporter, MsbA and integral membrane protein, ZMPSTE24 synthesized.

14 April 2025 -- Cambridge, UK and Massachusetts, US -- Nuclera, the biotechnology company accelerating protein expression and optimization through its benchtop eProtein Discovery™ system, today announced the addition of a new membrane protein workflow to its system. This expanded capability enables the expression, purification and stabilization of challenging membrane proteins, which are often key targets in therapeutic development. Using cell-free protein synthesis, digital microfluidics, and optimized additive screening, eProtein Discovery can express and purify functional, correctly folded membrane proteins, in 48 hours.

Membrane proteins play vital roles in regulating cellular processes and many are implicated in the development and progression of disease. 60% of FDA-approved drugs target membrane proteins1 yet the extraction and stabilization of these structurally complex proteins remains challenging due to their intrinsic hydrophobic nature.

Nuclera demonstrated the capabilities of eProtein Discovery to produce membrane proteins by synthesizing MsbA (a membrane transporter) and ZMPSTE24 (an integral membrane protein)2. In 24 hours, eProtein Discovery evaluated different expression and purification conditions, including assessing the effects of using nanodiscs, lipids and detergents, to identify the optimal conditions for producing soluble, stable MsbA and ZMPSTE24. Scale-up production of these membrane proteins was achieved within 48 hours, enabling rapid functional evaluation. MsbA and ZMPSTE24 generated using eProtein Discovery had high-yield, were functionally active, and compatible with cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM).

Existing eProtein Discovery users can access this new membrane protein production capability through a software update.

Dr Toby Ost, SVP of Product Development, Nuclera, said: “Membrane protein production has long been a technical challenge, often resulting in misfolded or inactive proteins. eProtein Discovery overcomes these challenges, enabling scientists to rapidly produce functional membrane proteins, accelerating drug discovery and structural biology workflows.”

Dr Konstantinos Beis, Reader in Membrane Protein Structural Biology, Imperial College London, added: “The eProtein Discovery System is a welcome new toolkit for membrane protein production. We were commissioned via Imperial Consultants to test the protein quality in our lab - and the early results are promising.”

For more information about Nuclera’s eProtein Discovery system, please visit: https://www.nuclera.com/system

1. Paper: How many drug targets are there?
2. Poster: Functional Membrane Proteins - Ready in 48 Hours

About Nuclera
Nuclera’s mission is to accelerate discovery by enabling rapid, easy access to functional proteins essential for drug discovery research. The Company’s eProtein Discovery™ benchtop system accelerates protein expression and purification optimization in research labs. Applying digital microfluidics alongside in situ protein detection assays and cell-free protein synthesis, eProtein Discovery enables rapid, scalable access to high-quality proteins, supporting both cell-free and cell-based expression methods. The system significantly reduces time and cost of these processes by automating construct screening, protein scale-up, and producing purified proteins for downstream functional testing in under 48 hours. The system accelerates workflows, achieving results in days rather than the months required by traditional cell-based methods. Founded in 2013, Nuclera’s offices are located in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (US). For more information please visit: www.nuclera.com