Biofactories in a tube
Imagine switching on a protein factory at home by adding yeast to a tube. No lab required.
How yeast-based biofactories work
01
Identify a protein
Choose gene(s) for the proteins you want to produce.
02
Insert plasmids
Clone those genes into plasmids alongside a custom, maltose-triggered promoter, then insert them into the yeast.
03
Culture the yeast
Grow the engineered yeast.
04
Switch on production
Maltose activates the promoter and the yeast fill with protein (or display proteins on their surface).
05
Consume it
Yeast survives stomach acid, then delivers the manufactored proteins to the gut. M cells in the gut may take up particular proteins, triggering antibody responses.
Proven in animals
Across more than 20 published studies, yeast expressing antigen proteins fed orally have induced antibody responses in mice, chickens, pigs, and fish.
| Source of antigen | Tested in | Yeast species | Format | Immune response | Study |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SARS-CoV-2 | Mice | P. pastoris | killed · surface display | IgG2a · IgA · nAb | de Macêdo 2025 |
| SARS-CoV-2 | Mice | S. cerevisiae | live · surface display | IgG · IgA | Zhang 2022 |
| SARS-CoV-2 | Mice | S. cerevisiae | killed · surface display | IgG · IgA · IFN-γ · IL-4 | Gao 2021 |
| Influenza H7N9 | Mice | S. cerevisiae | killed · surface display | IgG · IFN-γ / IL-4 T cells | Lei 2020 |
| Dengue | Mice | S. cerevisiae | live · surface display | IgG · sIgA | Bal 2018a |
| Dengue | Mice | S. cerevisiae | live + killed · subunit | IgG · sIgA · lymphocytes | Bal 2018b |
| Enterovirus 71 | Mice | S. cerevisiae | live · surface display | IgG · IgM · IgA · TNF-α | Zhang 2016 |
| PRRSV | Mice | K. lactis | live · subunit | IgG · IgA · lymphocytes | Zhao 2014 |
| Fowl adenovirus | Chickens | S. cerevisiae | live · surface display | IgG · sIgA · IFN-α/β · CD8 | Cao 2022 |
| Influenza H5N1 | Chickens | S. cerevisiae | killed · surface display | IgG · IgA · IFN-γ · IL-4 | Lei 2021 |
| Infectious bursal disease | Chickens | P. pastoris | killed · subunit | IgM · IgY | Taghavian 2013 |
| African swine fever | Pigs | S. cerevisiae | live · surface display | IgG · IgA | Chen 2021 |
| Porcine epidemic diarrhea | Mice & piglets | P. pastoris | live · subunit | IgG · IgA | Wang 2016 |
| Porcine circovirus 2 | Pigs | S. cerevisiae | killed · surface display | IgG · IgA | Patterson 2015 |
First human data
Potential benefits
Easy, cheap production
Oral or nasal delivery
Can be made shelf stable
No cold chain
Mucosal immunity
Generally Recognized As Safe
Read more
- "An Edible Polyomavirus Vaccine" — Buck et al.
- "Why yeast-based vaccines could be huge for biosecurity" — Dan Elton
- "Vac-Yeast Is a Food" — Chris Buck