The Chain: Protein Engineering Podcast

Some scientists dream of genes. Cenk Ündey dreams of intelligent data flow through the value-added chain of biotherapeutic protein development. Ündey is an Executive Director of Process Development at Amgen. He sits down with The Chain to describe a system of streamlined and effective data management at every step: From molecule delivery to working with suppliers. Thanks to advanced computing power, broader datasets, and improved storage, this dream is closer to realization than ever before. 

One of the greatest afflictions associated with cancer is its spread throughout the body and organs, known as metastasis. What if a therapeutic could be engineered to block the pathway of metastasis, thus blocking cancer’s progress? This is precisely the crux of Dr. Jamie Spangler’s research. Her group has, first, delineated cancer’s pathway, and, secondly, has engineered multi-specific antibodies that potently block metastasis. Dr. Spangler’s work combined with anti-cancer therapies shows exciting promise in the fight to overcome the ravages of cancer. In this podcast, Dr. Spangler discusses her work in considerable detail, and also describes her personal journey and transformation into protein science. 

Javin Oza observed the separation of scientists and engineers on university campuses, at conferences, and in classrooms. Yet he also noted that advances in biochemistry require perspectives from both bioengineers and lab scientists. Oza’s current research aims to bridge the gap between these thought-approaches to bring about advancements in cell-free protein synthesis. He speaks with The Chain about barriers to implementing CFPS, what resources are available for the transition to cell-free systems, and advice for young protein scientists. 

Dr. Paolo Arosio Professor of Biochemical Engineering at ETH Zurich speaks to Nandini Kashyap, Conference Director at CHI about his love for building blocks and how he is applying microfluidics to solve challenges in biologics product development. They discuss the role of protein aggregation and developability in taking the molecules from a sequence to a drug product. 

Versatope Therapeutics, Inc. was recently awarded up to $17.9 million by the NIH to develop a universal influenza vaccine. CEO and Co-Founder, Dr. Christopher Locher walks us through the early days of Versatope, and how it has come to be a key player in the fight for influenza prevention. He shares the story of a start-up from inception to the front lines of vaccine development. 

Today’s episode explores the growing field of systems immunology, and how new informatics tools will be used in this discipline to discover and develop the next generation of biotherapeutics for cancer, infectious diseases and other conditions. 

Dr Parren speaks about advances in the field of T cell engaging bispecifics. Recent advances in bispecific antibody production and  clinic successes have resulted in increased interest, but several disadvantages remain when targeting via CD3, the most common approach. CD3 is present on all T cells which means there is poor specificity and activity, and also toxicity.At Lava Therapeutics, Paul and his colleagues are targeting A specific effector T-cell subset via the γδT cell  (gamma delta T cell) marker Vδ2. These γδT cells are a homogeneous population of pro-inflammatory effector T cells that are able to recognize and attack tumour cells with increased efficacy and safety. previously it has been shown that the high presence of these γδT cells in tumors correlates with increased survival. Lava Therapeutics’ first product will enter the clinic at the end of next year.

Dr. Massimo Morbidelli is giving the Keynote Presentation in the “Protein Purification Technologies” conference that’s part of CHI’s 11th annual PEGS Summit Europe in Lisbon Portugal.  Dr. Morbidelli is an internally recognized expert in protein purification, and shares his insights about continuous processing, its applications, challenges and future outlooks.Continuous countercurrent chromatography is recognized as the technology of choice for a number of instances in the area of protein purification. Approaching its maturity stage, this technology has to be reconsidered with respect to crucial aspects for its future development. In particular, we discuss issues related to scalability in the GMP environment, model-based process characterization and validation, as well as process automation, control and digitalization particularly in the context of continuous integrated manufacturing.

Dr. Lars Linden will be presenting during the Optimisation & Developability conference at PEGS Europe Summit, November 18-22, in Lisbon, Portugal. He speaks with CHI on August 6, 2019 to share his current responsibilities and how they have and will continue to evolve, especially with AI and machine learning in the horizon.Topics discussed include how developability assessments, combined with in silico assays and in vitro high throughput methods, are able to rank candidates quickly in discovery, to advance the best ones to lead optimization and help select the right molecules. This is especially useful with today’s myriad molecules from bi- to multi-specifics to different types of conjugates. Dr Linden further discusses the role and impact of AI and machine learning to accelerate and simplify drug discovery, and better predict and optimise molecules throughout the R&D value chain.

Over fifty years since its first use, Dr. Marco Casteleijn breaks down the resurgence of cell-free protein synthesis and its application across industries, including VTT’s research of cell-free proteins for pharma and the fashion industry. Plus, we discuss the importance of science writing to describe discoveries and communicate findings with funders and the public.