Question 1

What does animal-free mean?

Accepted Answer

Animal-free means our growth factors contain no animal-derived substances -- no serum carryover, no endogenous growth factors, cytokines, or chemokines. Because we express proteins in barley seeds using the ORFEUS platform, the host is a plant, not a mammalian cell line or bacterial system. The result is a clean, biorisk-free protein with no animal-origin contamination at any stage of production.

Question 2

What does biorisk-free mean?

Accepted Answer

Biorisk-free means our growth factors are produced in barley endosperm -- an animal-free, bacteria-free host -- and are therefore free of endotoxin, pyrogens, pro-inflammatory molecules, antibiotics, bacteria, viruses, and prions. Proteins fold in a eukaryotic conformation and are glycosylated where appropriate. The combination makes them safe inputs for sensitive cell-culture workflows where contamination is unacceptable.

Question 3

Is the bioactivity of plant-produced growth factors equivalent to mammalian-expressed proteins?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each batch is tested for biological activity by an independent third-party company or laboratory using cell-based proliferation assays. The results are reported on the datasheet for that batch. Eukaryotic expression in barley seeds produces proteins in native conformation with appropriate glycosylation, which supports high bioactivity. Datasheets are available on request and on product pages.

Question 4

What species does ORF Genetics supply growth factors for?

Accepted Answer

ISOkine covers human and mouse growth factors for stem cell and regenerative research. MESOkine covers species-specific factors for bovine, porcine, and avian cultivated-meat applications. DERMOkine provides growth-factor-active barley extract for cosmetic use. Catalog numbers carry a line prefix (IK, MK, DK) that maps to the application. Talk to a scientist if your species or application is not listed.

Question 5

What applications are ORF growth factors used in?

Accepted Answer

Primarily stem cell and regenerative research (ISOkine), cultivated meat and seafood production (MESOkine), and skincare ingredient formulation (DERMOkine). Growth factors are used in cell proliferation, differentiation, and maintenance protocols. Published studies citing ISOkine products span regenerative medicine, rhabdomyosarcoma research, and hematopoietic stem cell work, among others.

Question 6

How does ORF Genetics control for quality?

Accepted Answer

Each product batch undergoes rigorous purity assessment and biological activity testing by independent third-party laboratories. A data sheet for every batch documents purity, bioactivity, endotoxin levels (below 0.01 EU/µg), and lot-specific results. ORF Genetics is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Additional batch documentation (CoA, SDS, Certificate of Origin) is available on request.

Question 7

Can ORF Genetics supply growth factors at production scale?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our plant molecular farming platform in a geothermal-powered barley greenhouse is designed to scale. In 2025 we raised approximately EUR 5 million toward a EUR 7 million round specifically to increase MESOkine capacity 14x by 2027. Bulk orders are available for all product lines on request. Contact us to discuss your volume and supply timeline.

Question 8

How does ordering work?

Accepted Answer

Ordering is quote-based through ORF Genetics or our worldwide distributor network -- there is no online checkout. Prices are displayed publicly on each product page. To order, request a quote via the contact form or email info@orfgenetics.com, or contact your regional distributor. Our team will respond with a formal quotation.

Question 9

Are products available in larger quantities than listed on your website?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Larger quantities are available on request for all product lines. For ISOkine animal-free growth factor and cytokine bulk orders, contact isokine@orfgenetics.com. For all other bulk orders and quotes, contact info@orfgenetics.com. Lead times for bulk production will be confirmed at the time of quotation.

Question 10

Is it possible to get a free sample?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Free samples are available for our growth factor products. For ISOkine animal-free samples, contact isokine@orfgenetics.com. For all other sample requests, contact info@orfgenetics.com. Include your institution, application, and the product(s) you are evaluating.

Question 11

Where can I find a distributor in my region?

Accepted Answer

ORF Genetics distributes worldwide through regional partners. Distributor information is available on our contact page. If no distributor is listed for your country, contact info@orfgenetics.com directly and we will route your enquiry to the appropriate channel.

Question 12

How long are ORF Genetics growth factors stable?

Accepted Answer

Lyophilized protein is stable at room temperature for several weeks, but we recommend storage at -20°C. Reconstituted proteins should be used immediately or stored in working aliquots at -20°C. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. When properly stored, our growth factors are stable for at least 3 years from product release.

Question 13

How should I store and reconstitute the proteins?

Accepted Answer

Store lyophilized protein at -20°C. Reconstitute in the buffer specified on the product datasheet. Prepare single-use working aliquots to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Reconstituted protein is best used immediately. Lot-specific reconstitution instructions and formulation details are on each product datasheet.

Question 14

Is it possible to get custom-manufactured proteins?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ORF Genetics offers custom protein production through the ORFEUS barley-seed expression platform as a contract research organization (CRO) service. We handle the process from gene synthesis to purified protein. For details on custom manufacturing of your protein of interest, contact info@orfgenetics.com.

Question 15

How does ORFEUS work as a production platform?

Accepted Answer

ORFEUS is ORF's barley-seed expression system. A gene of interest is synthesized, cloned into our GrainVec expression vector optimized for seed-specific expression, and introduced into barley via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The highest-expressing lines are selected and expanded. Downstream purification uses affinity chromatography. The process is animal-free and endotoxin-free from start to finish.

Question 16

Can ORF Genetics products replace GMP-grade material?

Accepted Answer

Not yet, but ORF is on the road to GMP. Our growth factors are currently not cGMP validated. We are establishing a GMP-compliant production facility to produce biorisk-free cGMP growth factors and cytokines. The current biorisk-free products nonetheless represent a significant improvement in safety and purity over products produced in bacterial or mammalian expression systems. We will announce GMP availability as capacity comes online.

Question 17

Can ORF Genetics products be used for therapeutics or clinical testing?

Accepted Answer

Current products are for research use only. cGMP-compliant growth factors for clinical testing are in development and will be available in the near future. If your application requires GMP-grade material, contact us to discuss timeline and requirements, or to be notified when cGMP products become available.

Question 18

What quality control documentation is available?

Accepted Answer

Every product batch comes with a lot-specific datasheet reporting purity (>95-98%), endotoxin level (<0.01 EU/µg), biological activity measured by cell-based proliferation assay, and lot number. Certificate of Analysis (CoA), Safety Data Sheet (SDS), and Certificate of Origin are available on request. ORF Genetics is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Contact info@orfgenetics.com to request batch documentation for a specific lot.

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