SAP-ERASER

SAP-ERASER is an ambitious, high-risk/high-reward program aimed at developing a groundbreaking Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) technology. The project builds on the innovative work of TSL adjunct-scientist Professor Saskia Hogenhout and her team at the John Innes Centre.

Awarded prestigious European Research Council (ERC) funding in 2022, SAP-ERASER focuses on SAP effectors—bacterial proteins that degrade host plant transcription factors through various mechanisms. Professor Hogenhout’s team discovered that SAP05 effectors directly bind to a 26S proteasome component, leading to protein degradation without the need for E3 ligases or ubiquitination. This distinguishes SAP05 from most other proteolysis-targeting systems, which typically depend on ubiquitination, offering a unique approach to protein knockdown technology.

TPD technologies have gained significant attention in drug discovery due to their ability to target and degrade disease-causing proteins. SAP-ERASER will look into the application of ubiquitin-independent TPD technology for removing unwanted proteins that cause plant, animal and human diseases.