A method of evolution of a gene product of a gene of interest, the method comprising:
- providing one or more viral vector(s) comprising 5′ to 3′ at least part of a 5′ UTR sequence, at least part of one or more non-structural protein(s) coding sequence, at least part of a sub-genomic promoter coding sequence, at least part of a capsid coding sequence, at least part of a first protease cleavage signal coding sequence, a gene of interest coding sequence, at least part of a second protease cleavage signal coding sequence, at least part of an E3 coding sequence, at least part of an E2 coding sequence, at least part of a 6K coding sequence, at least part of an E1 coding sequence, and at least part of a 3′ UTR sequence, wherein the 5′ UTR sequence, the one or more non-structural protein(s) coding sequence, the capsid coding sequence, the E3 coding sequence, the E2 coding sequence, the 6K coding sequence, the E1 coding sequence, and the 3′ UTR sequence are sequences of a Togaviridae virus;
- providing one or more first complement nucleic acid sequence(s) comprising 5′ to 3′ at least part of a 5′ UTR sequence, at least part of one or more non-structural protein(s) coding sequence, at least part of a sub-genomic promoter coding sequence, at least part of a capsid protein coding sequence, at least part of one or more structural protein(s) coding sequence(s), and at least part of a 3′ UTR sequence into the population of suitable host cells, wherein the 5′ UTR sequence, the one or more non-structural protein(s) coding sequence, the capsid protein coding sequence, the one or more structural genes coding sequence(s), and the 3′ UTR sequence are sequences of a Togaviridae virus, and wherein expression of the one or more first complement nucleic acid sequence(s) is linked to a function of a gene product of the gene of interest;
- introducing the one or more viral vector(s) to a population of suitable host cells;
- introducing the one or more first complement nucleic acid sequence(s) to the population of suitable host cells;
- allowing maturation and egress of one or more mature virus(es) that comprise the gene of interest or a variant thereof from the population of suitable host cells;
- recovering the one or more mature virus(es);
- introducing the one or more mature virus(es) and one or more first complement nucleic acid sequence(s) into a population of naïve suitable host cells;
- allowing further maturation and egress of further one or more mature virus(es) that comprise the gene of interest or a variant thereof from the population of suitable host cells;
- recovering the further one or more mature virus(es);
- isolating one or more nucleic acid sequence(s) from the further one or more mature virus(es) to provide one or more isolated nucleic acid sequence(s);
- and
- isolating the gene of interest or a variant thereof from the one or more isolated nucleic acid sequence(s).