The Centre for Protein Engineering (C.I.P.) at the University of Liège was founded in 1990. It is a multidisciplinary center that has acquired expertise in areas like biochemistry, bacteriology, biophysics, and molecular biology. The C.I.P. currently has over 140 members, including academics, researchers, PhD students, and technicians from various backgrounds like biology, chemistry, physics, and pharmacology. It consists of several research units focusing on topics such as bacterial physiology and genetics, enzymology, protein folding, and crystallography. The C.I.P. also provides facilities for applied molecular biology, protein expression, purification, and characterization that support both academic research and collaborative applied

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Centre d’Ingénierie des Protéines (C.I.P.)
Université de Liège
Prof. Bernard JORIS
Director
University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010
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Centre d’Ingénierie des Protéines
Founded in 1990
Multidisciplinary and interfaculty centre
University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010
Acquired expertises, skills and specific instruments
Recruited “key” researchers
Built a network of collaborations (national and international)
Developped lines of research including:
Along the years, we have
BiochemistryBacteriology
Applied quantum chemistry
Biophysics
Protein structure
Molecular biology

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Centre d’Ingénierie
des Protéines
University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010
Academics and senior researchers : 11
PhDs : 27
PhD students : 41
Master students : 12
Trainees : 38
Technicians : 11
Secretaries : 2
Members 2009: 142
Biologists Protein chemists Biochemists
Physicists Pharmacists Quantum chemists
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Centre d’Ingénierie des Protéines
Research units
Biological macromolecules
and Biochemistry
Prof M. Galleni and Dr G. Feller
Bacterial diversity, physiology
and genetics
Prof B. Joris, Dr C. Duez, Dr S. Rigali,
Dr M. Terrak and Dr A. Wilmotte
Enzymology & Protein folding
Prof A. Matagne and Dr M. Dumoulin
Crystallography
of Biological Macromolecules
Prof P. Charlier
Applied quantum chemistry
and modelling
Dr G. Dive
University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010

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Centre d’Ingénierie
des Protéines
- Hybrid proteins
(vaccins)
- Allergens
- Amyloid fibrils
….
Examples of biomedical applications
Protein
chemistry
and
protein
properties
Study of
protein
supramolecular
assemblies
Protein
structural
properties
Biocomputing
Chemical
reactivity
Modelling
Bio-
technology
facilities
... ... ... ... ...
New
inhibitors
….
Structures
of new bacterial
targets….
Protein
production/
purification
…
Applied
projects
….
- Bacterial anti-
biotic resistance
- Search for new
bacterial targets
- New natural
antibiotics
- Hybrid proteins
(vaccines)
- Allergens
- Amyloid fibrils
….
University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010
6 University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010
• β-lactam antibiotic detection in biological fluids
• Hybrid proteins : vaccines, biosensors, drug delivery, epitope mapping
• Production and purification of proteins for industrial companies
• Genetic engineering of Bacillus subtilis as cell factory
for production of recombinant proteins
• Metagenomics for mining new enzymes useful in food biotechnology
• Protein arrays
• Group B streptococci diagnostic
• Monitoring and characterization of cyanobacterial blooms
• RNA aptamer array
• Non-ribosomal synthesis of Bacillus subtilis lipopeptides
• Industrial applications of cold-adapted enzymes
• …
Founded applied research
Centre d’Ingénierie
des Protéines

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Centre d’Ingénierie
des Protéines
« Facilities »
Applied molecular biology
Protein expression
Protein purification
Protein characterization
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University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010
Protein
Cloning
Bacillus
subtilis
Streptomyces
lividans
Pichia
pastoris
Lectures Training Collaboration
Escherichia
coli
Service
Gene
Applied molecular biology

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University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010
Protein Expression
Flasks
(5 ml to 2 liters)‫‏‬
Fermenters
(1 to 60 liters)‫‏‬
Microtiter plate
Tubes
(0,5 to 5 ml)‫‏‬
Lectures Training Collaboration Service
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Protein purification
Lectures Training Collaboration Service
Analytical scale Large scale
University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010

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11 University of Liège ‐ 9 March 2010
• SDS-PAGE analysis
• 2D electrophoresis
• Isoelectric focusing
• Western blots
• Thermostability studies
• N-terminal sequencing
• Biological assays
• Surface plasmon resonnance
• Microcalorimetry (DSC, ITC)
• …
Biochemistry
Protein characterization
Biospectroscopy
• UV-visible absorption spectroscopy
• Fluorescence spectroscopy
• Circular dichroism
• …
Enzymology and Protein folding
Protein crystallography
Applied quantum chemistry and modelling
Lectures Training Service
Collaboration