Transient expression of proteins in plants by infiltrating leaves with Agrobacterium tumefaciens (agroinfiltration) is a robust, versatile, efficient protein expression platform that is routinely used in plant science. Transient expression by agroinfiltration also offers unique opportunities for industrial protein production through 'molecular pharming' since this platform can produce antibodies and vaccines carrying humanised glycans and this is safe (free of animal pathogens), sustainable and cheap (low energy, no media). Our research program is aimed at improving this protein expression platform further, e.g. by removing proteases that hamper the accumulation of recombinant proteins, and by avoiding Agrobacterium-induced immune responses that dampen transient expression.
