The Chain: Protein Engineering Podcast

In this episode of The Chain, host Nimish Gera, Ph.D., vice president of biologics at Mythic Therapeutics, speaks with Peyton Greenside, CSO and co-founder of BigHat Biosciences, about the role of AI and machine learning in antibody engineering and targeting complex modalities, including bispecifics and ADCs. Greenside also discusses the work her organization does, what BigHat is doing to ensure the quality of data to train their AI models with, the methods of approaching harder targets such as GPCRs, and certain properties that AI can optimize better. 

In this episode of The Chain, host Brandon DeKosky, associate professor at MIT, speaks with Andrew Kruse, PhD, professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology at Harvard University, about protein signaling and structural biology. Kruse explains what exactly bias signaling is and discusses the problems he and his team are working to resolve, as well as the tools they use to work out the dynamics of structures. He also shares the findings in signaling receptors and biology that he’s most excited about, recent advancements that have caught his attention, and the new directions for him and his lab.  

Industry experts discuss AI and ML in antibody discovery. They debate benchmarking methods, challenges in protein design, and advancements in AI tools. The panel emphasizes data-driven approaches, reproducibility of algorithms, and innovations in ADA data analysis. Overall, they highlight the potential of AI/ML in optimizing antibody discovery and engineering.

In this episode of The Chain, host Tariq Ghayur, PhD, consultant and entrepreneur in residence, FairJourney Biologics, speaks with Tomoyuki Igawa, PhD, chief executive officer, Chugai Pharmabody Research in Singapore, about his 20+ years of experience in drug discovery and development. Igawa possesses a unique perspective that has allowed him and his team to develop innovative concepts, such as recycling sweeping antibodies and bispecific platforms. He discusses how the discovery and development organizations work together to provide a steady supply of products, how he builds the right team when starting a new project, and how to keep team members engaged and motivated. He also offers advice for young scientists on the importance of enjoying their work and how to maintain work-life balance. 

This month The Chain shares a recent episode of the Lab Rats to Unicorns podcast. Lab Rats to Unicorns, hosted by John Flavin, aims to demystify the process of creating a great company in the life sciences, biotech, medtech, clean energy, and beyond. In this episode, Flavin speaks with Lesley Millar-Nicholson, executive director of MIT’s Technology Licensing Office (TLO). Millar-Nicholson discusses the role of the TLO, what happens after a patent is filed and licensed to a company or start-up, how she got her start in the field, and her journey from Scotland to the U.S. She also delves into finding the right people for the best team, the importance of a diverse workforce and awareness, and being around science as a non-scientist. 

In this month’s episode of The Chain, host Ben Hackel, professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, speaks with Gabriel Rocklin, assistant professor of Pharmacology at Northwestern University, about two recently published papers from Rocklin’s lab: one on advancing the ability to design challenging typologies and one on developing and leveraging a new technique on high-throughput protein biophysics. Rocklin shares the journey from ideation to realization of the research process, the inspiration that motivated the work, and interesting results and technological advancements discovered along the way. He also talks about the opportunities emerging from his team’s research and the challenges that still need overcoming, as well as offers advice for future scientists interested in protein biophysics.  

How does one maintain innovation in the antibody industry? In this episode of The Chain, host Tariq Ghayur, PhD, consultant and entrepreneur in residence, FairJourney Biologics, talks with Janine Schuurman, PhD, president of The Antibody Society, independent biotech consultant and founder of Lust for Life Sciences, about her inspiration to get into antibody engineering, her impressive career at Genmab, advice for a productive work environment, and her current work. Dr. Schuurman also shares insights on staying innovative, how to deal with the challenges of the industry, why young scientists should not be afraid to fail, as well as her plans as the new president of The Antibody Society. Links:   Lust for Life Sciences: https://www.lustforlifescience.com/  The Antibody Society: https://www.antibodysociety.org/  FairJourney Biologics: https://fjbio.com/  

Bispecific antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have been undergoing a renaissance in recent years. As big pharma continues to express more interest, what can the field expect for the future of ADCs? In this episode of The Chain, Nimish Gera, Ph. D., Vice President of Biologics of Mythic Therapeutics, speaks with Rakesh Dixit, Ph. D., President & CEO of Bionavigen, about his thoughts on the future of bispecific ADCs, what to keep in mind when selecting targets, and how to choose the right payload. Dr. Dixit also shares his 35 years of experience with top biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, J&J, and AstraZeneca, and how he is using his expertise to advise companies with their drug development programs. 

What can we expect from GPCRs in antibodies and biologics? In this episode of The Chain, host Rajesh Sundaresan, PhD, Scientific Leader and GSK Fellow of Protein Cell and Structural Sciences at GlaxoSmithKline, speaks with Thomas P. Sakmar, MD, Professor of Chemical Biology at Rockefeller University, about the history of GPCRs and various subunits, his early work with rhodopsin, and the impact of crystallography and structural work. He also shares how he got started with molecular biology training, as well as his thoughts on the state-of-the art for both biologics and small molecules in drug discovery.  LINKS:    Rockefeller University: https://www.rockefeller.edu  GlaxoSmithKline: https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/   

In this episode of The Chain, Richard Bonneau, PhD, and Marcel Hop, PhD, of Genentech interview Tala Fakhouri, PhD, of the FDA on her thoughts on the discussion paper, “Using Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning in the Development of Drug & Biologic Products” and the evolving role of AI/ML to create models and inform decisions in biopharmaceutical development and regulatory submissions. Dr. Fakhouri also discusses the impact AI/ML models could have on clinical trial conduct, patient enrollment, patient selection, and data interpretation. She also talks about the next steps to get the right processes in place and why transparency is important to establish trust with patients about AI/ML tools.