Hyper expression of an environmentally friendly synthetic polymer gene

Summary Biodegradable polymers offer an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based polymers. Applications of protein based polymers include the use of these compounds in the fields of medicine, molecular-based energy conversions, the manufacture of unique fibers, coatings and biodegradable plastics. We report here expression of a synthetic gene G-(VPGVG) ₁₁₉-VPGV coding for the EG-120mer (elastomer) in E. coli. Polymer expression is observed in uninduced cells grown in terrific broth in polyacrylamide gels negatively stained with CuCl₂. Electron micrographs reveal formation of inclusion bodies in uninduced cells occupying upto 80–90% of the cell volume under optimal growth conditions. To the best of our knowledge this report represents the first demonstration of hyper expression of a synthetic gene (with no natural analog) in E. coli.