EXPRES2ION BIOTECHNOLOGIES APS

Their core work

ExpreS2ion Biotechnologies is a Danish biotech SME specializing in recombinant protein production and virus-like particle (VLP) technology for vaccine development. They provide their proprietary insect cell expression platform to produce complex antigens — particularly for malaria, influenza, and coronavirus vaccines. In H2020 consortia, they serve as the protein/antigen manufacturing partner, enabling other teams to test vaccine candidates that require correctly folded, high-yield recombinant proteins.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2017) was rooted in tropical disease — specifically malaria vaccines targeting multiple Plasmodium lifecycle stages, using SpyCatcher multi-antigen conjugation and antigen discovery. From 2020 onward, they shifted toward respiratory virus vaccines (influenza and COVID-19), incorporating delivery innovations like microneedle patches and needle-free intradermal systems. This trajectory shows a company moving from niche tropical disease antigens toward broader infectious disease vaccine platforms with global market potential.

ExpreS2ion is broadening from tropical disease antigens toward pandemic-relevant respiratory vaccines with advanced delivery formats — expect continued work on VLP platforms for emerging infectious diseases.

How they like to work

ExpreS2ion operates exclusively as a specialist participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, instead contributing their protein expression technology to consortia led by others. With 41 unique partners across 12 countries in just 4 projects, they join large, multinational research consortia where their role is clearly defined as the antigen/protein production specialist. This makes them a reliable, low-friction partner: they bring a specific capability without competing for consortium leadership.

Despite only 4 projects, they have built a wide network of 41 partners in 12 countries — indicating participation in large consortia typical of global health vaccine research. Their collaborators likely span European universities, tropical disease institutes, and clinical trial organizations.

What sets them apart

ExpreS2ion's differentiator is their proprietary insect cell (Drosophila S2) expression system, which produces complex recombinant proteins that are difficult to manufacture in standard systems like E. coli or CHO cells. This makes them a go-to partner when a consortium needs correctly folded, glycosylated antigens for vaccine candidates. For consortium builders, they offer a plug-in manufacturing capability for vaccine antigens — a specific, hard-to-replace technical contribution that de-risks the protein production step.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INDIGO
  Their largest grant (EUR 610K) and most recent active project, combining recombinant influenza antigens with needle-free delivery — signals their strategic direction.
• OptiMalVax
  Multi-antigen malaria vaccine using SpyCatcher conjugation across all parasite lifecycle stages — technically ambitious and their second-largest funding (EUR 445K).
• Prevent-nCoV
  Rapid COVID-19 response project demonstrating their ability to pivot VLP technology to a new pathogen under pandemic urgency.