R&D
There is no pharmaceutical, no functional food and no cosmetic product without intensive laboratory research. More and more industries require peptide-based research. Not exclusively, but in particular the development of new active pharmaceutical ingredients demands the fundamental understanding of peptide involving mechanisms. Many of those peptides in question are challenging to compose, though just like many other peptides necessary in the early understanding of microbiological mechanisms.
Agriculture
Crops vegetables and fruits are protected from predators and parasites generally by chemicals or genetic modification. Pollution of ground water with pesticides is already causing environmental damage insofar as these pesticides are linked to the disruption of fish and amphibian sexual biology. Peptide based products comprise the least invasive protection for crops possible to this date as they consist of naturally occurring compounds and can be used target-oriented and at low dosages.
Stock Breeding
In order to prevent the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases among cattle and other stock, the impregnation of most farm animals is performed via artificial insemination. For that, semen is collected from male breeding animals and aliquoted. The portions are conserved by introducing an antibiotics cocktail before freezing. While several dangerous bacteria have developed resistance mechanisms to the common antibiotics, cell penetrating peptides are well-known to constitute an alternative for semen conservation.
Cosmetics
Due to their ability to penetrate skin cells, peptides are well known substances in cosmetics. Peptides can treat several symptoms of aged or exhausted skin which originate from vascular, membrane and complete cell breakdown mechanisms. Peptides can restore the functionality and firmness of skin cells and can therefore effectively treat skin aging symptoms like hair loss, wrinkle formation and many more. The skin penetration ability allows the percuteanous application of peptides e.g. using creams.
Antimicrobial Surface Coatings
Hospitals, canteens and restaurant kitchens, public bathrooms – creating sterile and clean spaces is an important recurring task for many service providers. Where there is an urgent need of excellent hygiene, corrosive cleaning agents are often used. Both surfaces and staff suffer from harsh and corrosive cleaning agents and the daily cleaning routines. Sterile and hygienic conditions can be put in place by coating exchangeable surfaces with antibacterial peptides or by the regular application of peptide containing varnishes.
Pharmaceuticals
As peptides regulate many processes within cells, many of them are potent candidates for pharmaceuticals. Peptides may be relevant as inhibitors for enzymes or signal transducing proteins in certain diseases or they may be targets for antibody medicaments. Peptides can also be used as a means to fight bacterial or fungal infections. The mk2 Biotechnologies synthesis technology allows for the production of high amounts of pure medical quality peptides.