# Recombinant Expression of Human Type 1 Collagen for Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials

> **NIH NIH R43** · PROVENANCE GROUP, INC. · 2021 · $287,899

## Abstract

Abstract
Collagen forms a highly organized, three-dimensional network that facilitates cell attachment, migration,
proliferation and differentiation. Strength, persistence and biocompatibility are the inherent properties of
collagens that make them well suited as scaffolds in tissue engineering efforts for repair and reconstruction of
tissue, bone, and skin. Currently, the primary source of these collagens is animal derived, which causes
concerns (reliability, safety, inconsistency, etc). While recombinant production of human collagens promises
the most likely solution, the state of art protein production technologies suffer inefficiencies in the production of
full length, functional collagens. As such, there’s a recognizable gap between the demand for recombinant
collagens and the supply thereof. Provenance has devised a unique strategy for overcoming the limitations of
these recombinant protein production systems. We propose to use our novel platform to efficiently synthesize
full length human type I collagens with the required post translational modifications at high titers. We will
demonstrate the recombinant human type I collagen resembles its native counterpart. We propose to generate
highly productive strains expressing full length human type I collagen, that shows the appropriate prolyl
hydroxylation, and optimize their production processes at different scales (shake flasks, bioreactors).
Ultimately, the approach described here should lead to a cost effective production strategy for recombinant
human type I collagen, and alleviate the severe limitations in the availability of this collagen for tissue
engineering, and as biomaterials in other biomedical applications. In addition, the availability of an inexpensive
source of human type I collagen should allow researchers to expand the role of collagen as a biomaterial for
tissue engineering applications. Successful completion of the work proposed in this Phase I proposal can
open avenues towards tailoring properties of collagens, a long term goal to impart new functionalities which in
turn can lead to novel applications in therapeutic and biomedical applications.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10325908
- **Project number:** 1R43GM144011-01
- **Recipient organization:** PROVENANCE GROUP, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Genevieve M. Vidanes
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $287,899
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10325908

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10325908, Recombinant Expression of Human Type 1 Collagen for Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials (1R43GM144011-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10325908. Licensed CC0.

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