I need a recombinant protein in high amounts - what company would you talk to? (Dec/03/2006 )

Hi
I need a recombinant protein in a quite high amount since I have to add it to my cultures. In my lab we don´t purificate / clone proteins, and this is urgent, so we have to buy the recombinant one. Does anyone have an experience about calling a brand an ask them for a protein even if they don´t normally sell it?
Any ideas appreciated. Thanks

First you need to find out which company is making it, and second, can you get it at a price you can afford.

Well, unfortunately it is a little bit more complicated really: Some months ago we found only one company which was making it, we bought them once a small amount of the protein (veeeery expensive ) and unfortunately the protein was retained in some airports and I think it wasn´t kept appropiately (ice...) because when we finally get it it was not frozen and then when we use it in the experiment it didn´t work as well as in the literature was described...
We complained to some implicated people but no luck until now...
So we don´t want to purchase the protein to this company in spite of they are the only ones who are selling it at this moment. I suppose I could talk to a different company specialized in protein production (any suggestion?? ) and preferably nearer to us (at least in Europe) than the first company, to avoid "airport problems" as much as possible...

Is collaboration with some lab a possibility, then? Some baculovirus company can do custom production. You may check on those. It may take you a while and it is not cheap either. If you have some group with protein production experience that may be most cost effective way.

Yes, that seems an interesting option. I will search for a group around here specialized in protein production, perhaps they could help us. Thanks a lot for your help, genehunter-1

Here's an alternative for you that might work ,depending on the protein. Have you looked at Linscotts Directory? (www.linscottsdirectory.com)
It claims to have squizillions of entries for the immunological and cell culture fields. If your protein is made by some people, you're quite likely to find it there.

Thanks a lot Swanny, I didn´t know that website, it´s great.