Psoroptes ovis, also known as the sheep scab mite, is a parasitic mite that can cause severe skin irritation and wool loss in sheep. The mite feeds on the skin and produces a variety of antigens, including Derp1. Derp1 is a major allergen in the mite and is known to cause allergic reactions in sheep.

Researchers are interested in understanding the role of Derp1 in the development of sheep scab and how it can be used as a diagnostic tool for detecting the disease. Derp1 is also being investigated as a potential therapeutic target for treating sheep scab and reducing the negative impact of the disease on sheep health and productivity.

Psoroptes ovis cDNA and recombinant antigens can be used in a variety of applications, including in the development of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Vaccines developed from recombinant antigens can be used to protect against Psoroptes ovis infestation, while diagnostics can be used to detect and identify the presence of the mite in a sample. Additionally, recombinant antigens can be used in combination with other proteins and small molecules to create therapeutic agents for the treatment of Psoroptes ovis infestations.

The use of recombinant proteins/cDNA in academic research and therapeutic applications has skyrocketed. However, in heterologous expression systems, successful recombinant protein expression is dependent on a variety of factors, including codon preference, RNA secondary structure, and GC content. When compared to pre-optimization, more and more experimental results demonstrated that the expression level was dramatically increased, ranging from two to hundred times depending on the gene. Bioclone has created a proprietary technology platform that has resulted in the creation of over 6,000 artificially synthesized codon-optimized cDNA clones (cloned in E. coli expression Vector), which are ready for production of the recombinant proteins.