Recombinant protein expression technology refers to the application of genetic engineering and gene recombination techniques, which introduce target genes into host cells through vectors, produce target proteins in large quantities through the host's protein expression mechanism, and achieve large-scale preparation through purification. The invention of gene recombination technology in 1972 became the technological starting point for recombinant proteins; In 1982, the first recombinant protein drug, recombinant human insulin, was launched, marking the glorious history of the development of recombinant protein expression technology.
Since the development of recombinant protein expression technology, prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells such as Escherichia coli, yeast, insects, and mammals can be used as host cells, and a variety of vector expression systems are available for selection, widely used in research fields such as life sciences and medicine.