Tyrala Consulting LLC

Why hello! It's nice to meet you 😁 Here's a little about us - we're all about proteins, all day every day, and we're ready to help you tackle problems big and small! Our goal is to build A-game proteins to help you craft your crazy cool technology. But now, tell us more about you! What drives your curiosity? What challenges do you face in your research? Reach out and let's explore the protein possibilities! #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #protein #syntheticbiology #molecularbiology #drugdiscovery #biologics #biotechnology #biotech 

An antibody isn't just an antibody. There's a lot a protein engineer can do with an antibody! When we talk about antibodies we're typically referring to a human or mouse monoclonal antibody, which is comprised of 2 heavy chains and 2 light chains for a total of 12 immunoglobulin domains and an approximate molecular weight of 150kD. Antibodies are able to bind antigens via the combined binding surface created by a variable heavy (VH) and a variable light (VL) immunoglobulin domain. An antibody has two VH/VL pairs and thus is divalent and can bind two copies of the same antigen. We aren't limited to this antibody configuration when we build therapeutic proteins. Protein engineers use a technique called antibody reformatting to design proteins of various sizes and multiplicity of antigen binding sites, even enabling binding of two or more different antigens. A Fab has one antigen binding site (monovalent) and is produced by removing an 'arm' from a full antibody. It's composed of the VH and CH1 of a heavy chain and the VL and VC of a light chain, and has a molecular weight of about 50kD. The smallest antibody-derived format is called an scFv, or single-chain variable fragment, and it comes in at roughly 28kD. An scFv is built by joining together the VH and VL domains into a single polypeptide chain via a flexible linker sequence. This format typically shows poorer yields in production but offers increased design flexibility especially in the context of a larger therapeutic molecule. Diabodies are created by further engineering of an scFv's linker sequence. Shorter linker sequences can lead to dimerization of VH and VL with the VL and VH, respectively, of a neighboring chain. So for only ~60kD you can build a divalent molecule! Every part an antibody has utility. The Fc region, which is composed of the CH2 and CH3 domains of each heavy chain, can be fused to a variety of non-immunoglobulin proteins to create Fc-fusion proteins. Addition of the Fc can extend the half-life of these 'other' proteins and expand the diversity of the therapeutic space. A related, though unique, reformatting component for the protein engineer is the VHH, also known as a nanobody or sdAb. A VHH is a single immunoglobulin domain capable of interacting with an antigen. It's not derived from the human or mouse antibodies discussed here, but is instead a product of the camelid immune response. VHH tend to be quite stable and, at 15kD, are efficient building blocks in therapeutic protein design. Want to talk reformatting? Reach out to us! #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #antibodies #drugdevelopment #biologics #biotechnology #biotech

What powers the world? HINT: It's not oil. #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #protein #syntheticbiology #molecularbiology #drugdiscovery #biologics #biotechnology #biotech

We talk a lot about proteins #IRL, but today we get to share Tyrala #IRL! Our founder, Amanda Kohler, PhD, will be joining the BioNet team for a panel discussion at #SynBioBeta2024 to discuss the BioNet - a synbio network aimed at improving access to the critical instrumentation and expertise required for broader application of the synthetic biology toolset. The goal: Empower scientists and non-scientists across sectors to solve real world problems with biology! This topic is near and dear to Tyrala because our mission is to make our own realm of synbio - protein engineering and protein science - more accessible to all. We help companies build and improve the proteins that drive their technologies and often serve as their go-to source for protein expertise, ensuring they have the support they need when they need it. SynBioBeta will be held May 6-9, 2024 in San Jose, CA. Hope to see you there! We'd love to discuss your favorite protein 😄 #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #protein #syntheticbiology #molecularbiology #drugdiscovery #biologics #biotechnology #biotech

How many stop codons do you really need? 1, 2, 3...? You're building a gene for protein expression - maybe for recombinant production, maybe to engineer a cell - you've got a promoter, kozak, start codon, your coding sequence, and that last piece..a stop codon. Is one enough? Two? Should you account for a frameshift? A stop codon serves to terminate translation by recruiting release factors that cause the ribosome to dissociate, releasing the mRNA and newly formed polypeptide. In theory, one stop codon is enough to stop translation. However, in practice some people prefer to use two stop codons and some prefer to include multiple stop codons in different reading frames to ensure that 'stop!' is heard loud and clear. So the question is .... which do you prefer and why?? Let's get some discussion going! ⬇ #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #protein #syntheticbiology #molecularbiology #drugdiscovery #biologics #biotechnology #biotech 

What's in a name? A lot. Tyrala (Tyr-Ala) is a combination of the three letter abbreviations for the amino acids Tyrosine (Tyr) and Alanine (Ala). We could go on and on about our love of Tyrosine... but our name means so much more. For us, Tyrala means: 🔹 An incredible love and appreciation of proteins 🔹 Deep expertise in the design and production of proteins 🔹 Helping clients around the globe solve challenging protein problems across the fields of biologics, small molecules, and synthetic biology 🔹 Proven success engineering and producing antibodies, cytokines, cell surface receptors, enzymes, DNA-binding proteins, and a range of other membrane-bound and soluble proteins Consider us your own in-house protein expert! 😁

Next up in the "How to... like a Protein Engineer" series: A practical guide to interpreting AlphaFold models! AlphaFold is a deep learning approach to 3D protein structure prediction that was developed by Google DeepMind. Join Amanda Kohler, PhD for a quick overview of AlphaFold uses, limitations, and tips for model evaluation! Key takeaway: Don't over-interpret a model! #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #protein #syntheticbiology #molecularbiology #drugdiscovery #biologics #biotechnology #biotech

A little relationship advice from an enzyme... #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #protein #syntheticbiology #molecularbiology #drugdiscovery #biologics #biotechnology #biotech

Sure, we've all heard about membrane proteins...but ever wonder how they make it into the membrane? #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #protein #syntheticbiology #molecularbiology #drugdiscovery #biologics #biotechnology #biotech

When is protein purity important? According to Amanda Kohler, PhD in today's Protein Minute, "that's anytime you're working with protein in science!" 🤣 Tyrala Consulting helps companies generate their own protein reagents which can be crucial - especially when commercial reagents fall short or simply aren't available. If you're looking for protein science support, reach out and let's get the ball rolling! #tyralaproteinpower #proteinengineering #protein #syntheticbiology #molecularbiology #drugdiscovery #biologics #biotechnology #biotech