Proteowa Biotechnology
Clear solutions to your protein needs!
An Australian biotechnology company focused on the Eukaryotic and Bacterial recombinant protein expression and research.
Established in 2014 by funding director, Dr Reza Zareie.
About us
We are Western Australia’s first commercial facility dedicated to protein expression and method development.
Proteowa is a biotechnology company based at the State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (SABC), Murdoch University. Founded in 2014, we are the first commercial enterprise in Western Australia focused on the expression, refolding, stabilisation, formulation, and sterile lyophilisation of recombinant proteins.
Our clients range from academics who require large amounts of cytokines for their bio-assays, to industry scientists needing rare enzymes for the biosynthesis of certain metabolites. We also support companies looking to outsource protein-related research projects or seeking advice on production optimisation.
Proteowa was recognised in CSIRO’s 2021 National Synthetic Biology Roadmap as one of the few Australian companies with biomanufacturing and enabling capabilities in synthetic biology.
Proteowa is a private enterprise with interest in anything related to protein chemistry and beyond! If you’d like to learn more about our services or capabilities, we welcome you to get in touch.
Services
We have experience in expression at both commercial and research scales in prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts. We can assist you by:
Expression of recombinant proteins from start to end
Built on our experience in the pharmaceutical protein manufacturing in academic and industrial environments, we offer contract expression of recombinant proteins for research and small industrial applications.
Contract research in protein science
Our analytical service range from basic protein characterization to full-blown projects. Example projects include macromolecular affinity analysis, disulphide mapping and protein formulation and lyophilisation. We also have extensive experience in refolding of proteins that are expressed as inclusion bodies.
Consultation in protein manufacturing
We can assist you to design and improve your process, for expression, purification and formulation of proteins in your laboratories or ours. We have experience in protein manufacturing at both commercial and research scales.
Why choose us?
Whether you’re a commercial scientist or an academic researcher, if you aim to express a recombinant protein, reduce production costs, or optimise expression, purification, or formulation – Proteowa can help you achieve your goals faster and more efficiently. Here’s why:
1. High-yield, animal-free expression
We use rationally designed coding sequences and animal-free, high-potency expression systems to achieve exceptional expression levels in mammalian and bacterial systems.
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Our media eliminates animal-derived contaminants and supports robust cell growth. With our codon-optimised sequences and predictive expression design, we’ve achieved yields of:
• up to 18% of total intracellular protein in Expi293 (e.g. cytoskeletal proteins)
• up to 40% of total extracellular protein in Expi293 (e.g. mAbs)
• up to 50% of total protein in E. coli (e.g. non-toxic targets)
2. Strong confidentiality and IP protection
Client data and intellectual property are strictly protected, both by internal policies and Australian law.
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We place great emphasis on the confidentiality and protection of client information, recognising its critical importance in fostering trust and maintaining our professional relationships. Any intellectual property—including protein sequences and proprietary data—remains the client’s property at all times.
As an Australian-based organisation, we operate under a robust legal framework that upholds privacy standards and enforces data protection through national legislation.
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3. Refolding expertise and inclusion body strategy
Unlike many providers, we don’t shy away from inclusion body (IB) formation. Indeed, for certain proteins, IBs can be advantageous. We specialise in refolding and structural validation.
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IBs often coincide with high yield, simplified purification, and reduce toxicity in the host. We have extensive experience inducing IB formation, refolding disulfide-rich proteins and confirming correct structures using analytical techniques. If needed, we can also shift expression toward solubility using methods such as host optimisation, codon re-design, and reduced expression temperatures.
4. Optional performance-based pricing
We offer an optional pricing scheme with fees significantly reduced if we are unable to produce protein that meets agreed structural or functional criteria – defined in consultation with the client at the project outset.
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If a protein cannot be expressed to meet the benchmarks, only a small fee is charged. If successful, a higher fee applies to reflect the added value and technical risk.
This approach is ideal for challenging targets and has helped many clients move forward with confidence—especially when standard expression methods have failed elsewhere.
5. Prokaryotic royalty-free production
For your bacterial expression aimed for commercial environments, we offer royalty-free tools that give you complete control over your pipeline.
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Our hosts, plasmids, and optimisation workflows are designed to be free from third-party patent entanglements, making them suitable for commercial use. If you’re developing a production-ready system, ask us about our all-in-one IP-clear platform that supports seamless transition to scale-up and manufacturing.
An overview of our bacterial expression scheme and tools
Not sure where to start? We’ll help plan your expression strategy…
An array of resources
Located at the WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (SABC) in Murdoch University, we have access to the complete range of high-tech equipment at SABC that is instrumental to our productivity and research capabilities. Proteowa operates from two main labs and a number of smaller labs explained here:
Dedicated eukaryotic and prokaryotic expression labs
Proteowa owns separate laboratories for its eukaryotic and prokaryotic expression experiments. Our eukaryotic expression laboratory is focused on transient transfection and expression of proteins. This lab is equipped with suitable CO2 shaker incubators, cell counter, biosafety cabinet and other dedicated equipment. Our eukaryotic expression lab is focused on the production of proteins with complex post-translational modifications, such as various monoclonal antibodies, in HEK293 and CHO cell suspension cultures.
Our prokaryotic expression laboratory is built on a niche market for the expression of bespoke and hard-to-make proteins, method development, and medium/bioreactor-scale protein expression. Prokaryotic expression is often cheaper and serves larger needs. Some of the key equipment in our prokaryotic lab include shaker incubators with different temperatures, bioreactor, high-pressure homogenizers, sonicator and FPLC. We have expertise in making haemoglobin variants, various chemokines and a range of cysteine-rich proteins. We also have extensive experience in inclusion body refolding.
Analytical lab
Besides the standard analytical tools, such as HPLC and gel electrophoresis, some of our key techniques for the comprehensive analysis of proteins include dynamic light scattering (DLS), biolayer interferometry (BLI), mass spectrometry, and Real-Time PCR. These sophisticated methods enable us to not only quantify and qualify proteins but also provide intricate details about their physical and chemical properties. We are experienced in the analysis of the protein structure, stability, and lyophilisation, which is crucial for preserving the integrity of proteins during storage and transport. Additionally, our expertise extends to the meticulous examination of protein degradation, the formation of adducts, and the complex dynamics of protein-protein interactions and affinity, allowing us to understand interactions at a molecular level and their implications in various biological processes. By integrating these techniques, we ensure a thorough understanding of protein behavior under different conditions, which is vital for applications in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and research.
Project highlights
While we like the expression, refolding and formulation of the relatively small
and simple proteins like most chemokines and cytokines, we also get excited at the site of more challenging projects that our clients bring to us!
Here is a list of some past Proteowa’s projects:
News & updates
Contact us
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“The team at Proteowa has been outstanding to work with. They have been more than a service provider — they were a research partner. They often went beyond the original project scope, exploring alternative methods and producing additional protein variants that strengthened our project to achieve the desired outcomes. Their collaborative approach and thorough reporting added insight and value well beyond expectations”
Dr Rob Batchelor
Distinguished Scientis
Nutromics Pty Ltd.