The Chain: Protein Engineering Podcast

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. 

With the whirlwind development of AI, it can be difficult to keep track of its uses in both research and the market. In this episode of The Chain podcast, host Ben Hackel, Professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, speaks with Enkelejda “Ledi” Miho, Professor of Digital Life Sciences at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, who breaks down the current state of AI and its role in drug development. She talks about the opportunities of AI and drug discovery and how digital biomarkers and molecular data are helping with personalized medicine. Miho also discusses the challenges of advancing AI, why having an “adisciplinary” approach is the key to assembling the right team, and how to design studies to be as broadly robust as possible, as well as the advancements of her and her team’s own research. 

What is the first step of getting into biotech? How do you make real progress in research? In honor of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, host Nimish Gera discusses these topics and more with Jonathan Sockolosky, PhD, Director of CSO Partner Team at Curie.Bio, in this special episode of The Chain. Jonathan details how he got started in biotech, what inspires him to keep going, his personal interests in ovarian cancer treatments, and what he does to raise funds to further ovarian cancer research. Jonathan also offers advice on how others can get involved in causes they are passionate about and how to give back to the community, as well as the progress that has been made in ovarian cancer therapy. Links from this episode:  Curie.Bio Mythic Therapeutics  

In this episode of The Chain, Brandon Dekosky, Associate Professor at MIT, speaks with Adrian Bot, Founding Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of R&D at Capstan Therapeutics, about his experiences in leadership roles, his scientific journey, and how he started work on immunotherapy for cancer. Bot also shares what it's like to be a “serial scientific entrepreneur” and the importance of networking to assemble a team that shares mutual interests, as well as how to motivate young scientists and researchers coming into the biotech industry. Finally, he discusses why he finds flat organizational structures with smaller teams more effective and what he does to maintain innovation. 

In this special episode of The Chain, G. Jonah Rainey, Senior Director of Protein Engineering at Eli Lilly and Company, hosts a panel at PEGS 2023 to discuss strategies to engineer parameters for solid tumor-targeting T-cell-engagers. Guests Stephen J. Demarest from Tentarix Biotherapeutics, Michelle Morrow from F-Star Therapeutics, Inc., and Dario Neri from Philogen provide their insights and experiences on navigating challenges, researching treatments, and the positives and negatives of certain targeting strategies. They also answer questions from the audience and share their perspectives on the future of tumor-targeting and what technology can do to help with developing effective cures. Links from this episode:  PEGS Boston Conference & Expo Engineering Bispecific Antibodies Eli Lilly and CompanyTentatrix Biotherapeutics   F-Star Therapeutics, Inc. Philogen