The Chain: Protein Engineering Podcast

James E. Crowe, Jr., a pediatric infectious-disease physician and Vanderbilt Vaccine Center director, presents AHEAD 100, an index-fund strategy for preparing antibodies against 100 high-risk pathogens. He discusses antibody discovery, AI-driven drug development, vaccines versus long-acting antibodies, scientific accountability, safer gain-of-function research, and how ultramarathons fuel creative problem-solving.

Janice Reichert, founder of mAbs and managing director of RICOP Biotechnology Consulting, is a leading voice on antibody therapeutics. She discusses the evolution of monoclonal antibodies, rising success rates, and transformative advances like antibody-drug conjugates and multispecific formats. The conversation also covers China’s fast‑growing role and the impact of AI on research and publishing.

July 14, 2026 | Most ADCs today lean on the same Topo-1 payloads—and resistance is catching up. Jack Elands, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Adcytherix, speaks with host Rakesh Dixit, Ph.D. about what “next-generation ADCs” should mean if we care about patients, not just pipeline counts. Their conversation gets specific about where differentiation comes from: novel payloads with new mechanisms of action, better therapeutic index choices, and smarter design decisions that reduce the toxicities that make patients quit therapy early. They also pressure-test the hype around bispecific ADCs and dual-payload ADCs.  Links from this episode:  Adcytherix 

Andrew Buchanan, antibody discovery leader applying AI/ML to antibody workflows. Andrew C.R. Martin, emeritus bioinformatics professor specializing in antibody structure. Norbert Furtmann, Sanofi lead on biologics AI and developability. They discuss ML uses and limits in biologics R&D. Topics include developability vs function prediction, data gaps and standardization, lab-in-the-loop approaches, de novo design value, and using structure and synthetic data to fill gaps.

Daniel Chen, M.D., Ph.D., physician-scientist and founder of Synthetic Design Lab, discusses objective-first protein engineering and the SynthBody platform. He explains multi-tier logic gating for biologics. Topics include logic-gated antibody drug conjugates, target summation for improved binding and delivery, AND-triggered multipliers, and design choices like valency, geometry, and manufacturability.

How is BindCraft, the automated pipeline for de novo protein binder design, changing the protein design industry? Martin Pacesa, assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Zurich, joins The Chain to discuss how BindCraft is helping non-protein designers learn how to design proteins—and how the role of the protein designer will evolve. With host Chris Bahl, their conversation explores how BindCraft may help with drug development, its role in the democratization of tools and resources, and how to work more collaboratively with AI models. Pacesa will also be speaking at May’s PEGS Summit in Boston.  Links from this episode:  AI Proteins UZH - Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology  University of Zurich Models & Molecules Podcast 

Jeffrey Miller, physician‑scientist advancing NK cell therapies and tri‑specific NK engagers. Patrick Baeuerle, biotech entrepreneur behind T‑cell bispecifics and peptide‑MHC work. They compare T cell and NK engagers to CAR T approaches. Topics include conditional tumor selectivity, IL‑15 and NK activation, peptide‑MHC targeting, manufacturing and clinical strategies, and use in MRD and neoadjuvant settings.

During last year’s PEGS Europe, industry experts gathered on a panel to discuss the future of biologic therapeutics. The panel kicked off with a presentation on 50 years of monoclonals, from hybridomas to next-gen antibody therapeutics, followed by a conversation featuring Paul Carter, Ph.D., Genentech Fellow of Antibody Engineering, G. Jonah Rainey, Ph.D., associate vice president of Eli Lilly and Company, and Janine Schuurman, Ph.D., biotech consultant at Lust for Life Science B.V. Moderated by Daniel Chen, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of Synthetic Design Lab, the discussion centered around whether half-life extended peptides will eventually replace multispecific antibodies. Links from this episode:  PEGS Europe  PEGS Synthetic Design Lab Genentech Eli Lilly and CompanyLust for Life Science B.V. 

Laszlo Radvanyi, a renowned professor of immunology and cancer immunotherapy, discusses pivotal advancements in cancer treatments. He reflects on the evolution of immunotherapy over the last decade and shares insights on the challenges of activating immune pathways with agonist antibodies. Laszlo emphasizes the role of partnerships in translating basic research into clinical success and highlights the promising potential of early detection strategies. He also argues for the exploration of new antigen sources, including endogenous retroviruses, as future targets in cancer therapy.

Vibha Jawa, a seasoned biopharmaceutical scientist and immunology leader, shares her insights on biologic molecules and immunogenicity. She discusses the potential of BiTEs and pegylated molecules in cancer treatment, along with her rewarding role in creating N-Plate at Amgen. Vibha predicts the rise of gene therapies and AI-designed molecules in the next decade. She emphasizes hands-on research and collaboration for the next generation of scientists, providing valuable advice on navigating the evolving landscape of immunogenicity.