The BioProcessing Demonstration and Training Laboratory was established with a collaboration between Utah State University and Thermo Fisher- Scientific, Inc. This lab was developed into a fully functioning tissue culture facility. Demonstration of tissue culture procedures were necessary for the lab to be industry-fully qualified. The CHO 1-15 cell line protocols were optimized by establishing conditions for reproducibility in shaker flasks and bioreactors (2 to 250 L capacity). CHO 1-15 is the cell line of choice for protein production in the bio-manufacturing industry. Oxidative stress is a problem in the industry because it can cause a decrease in protein production. Mesobiliverdin IXα and biliverdin IXα possess antioxidant capabilities. The effects of the antioxidant nature of these compounds were tested on the CHO 1-15 cell line. Cell cultures from silkworm and spider silk producing cells were also pursued. Methods to produce a primary cell line from spider silk gland cells were developed. Cell lines from spider and silkworm silk producing glands appeared to have the capacity to secrete full-length native proteins ranging in size from 200 to 500 kDa, and possibly larger.

Uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase (UGT) is a multigene family of enzymes responsible for catalyzing glycosylation of small hydrophobic molecules. Recently, a genomic analysis of the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) identified 45 different UGT genes. We discovered a UGT gene (UGT34) showing high levels of expression exclusively in the silk gland tissue. The expression levels of UGT34 were analyzed in different developmental stages and silk gland sub-segments, revealing that UGT34 is generally expressed at all larval instar stages and largely expressed in the middle and posterior subsegments of the silk glands. The soybean looper (Chrysodeixis includens), another noctuid moth species, was analyzed and found to have similar gene expression patterns. To determine UGT34 function RNA interference (RNAi) was used, but it revealed to be unsuccessful. Taken together, the present study implies that UGT34 plays an important role in silk glands, yet its molecular and physiological function needs to be determined by further study.