The Chain: Protein Engineering Podcast

Today’s episode features a conversation with the 2019 and 2020 PEGS Young Scientist Keynote presenters. We explore their work in protein science, its impact on global health and some exciting initiatives now underway in their labs. 

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 powe...

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...

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 abo...

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...

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 chromatogr...

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...

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.

Science Commune is a segment of The Chain that goes beyond the science and explores the people making discoveries. We discuss their career paths, passions, and the people who inspired them along the way. Join Daniel Chen as he speaks with Teemu Junttila of Genentech about how his childhood in Finland inspired his work today with bispecific antibodies targeting solid tumors. 

Bjørn Voldborg of the Technical University of Denmark speaks to CHI on July 18, 2019. He will be speaking during the Optimising Expression Platforms meeting at PEGS Europe, 18-22 November, in Lisbon, Portugal. Topics include the impact of big data on cell line engineering, his team’s success in producing Alpha-1 antitrypsin, the appeal of applied science and  more.

The Chain is a new podcast all about protein engineering and exploring the industry of biologics. We will learn from the experts what is new in the field and where it is heading. We will also be learning more about the people behind the papers, go into how they got to where they are today, and what inspires their work. We hope you’ll tune in to learn more about the science and minds that are chang...