Short Courses*
MONDAY 12 NOVEMBER | 09:00 - 12:00 | MORNING
Room Location: Room 5A
SC1: Transient Protein Expression: A Key Tool to Enable Rapid Protein Engineering - Detailed Agenda
Richard Altman, MS, Scientist, Protein Technologies, Amgen
Henry C. Chiou, PhD, Director, Cell Biology, Life Science Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dominic Esposito, PhD, Director, Protein Expression Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research
This short course introduces both the fundamental concepts and technologies needed to establish transient protein production in mammalian cells, which has become an essential tool to enable rapid protein engineering. Transient expression allows for the rapid generation, purification and characterization of milligram-to-gram quantities of secreted or intracellular recombinant proteins for therapeutic, functional and structural studies. The course combines instruction and case studies in an interactive environment.
Room Location: Room 5B
SC2: Making Antibody Libraries in Phage and Yeast - Detailed Agenda
Andrew R.M. Bradbury, MB BS, PhD, CSO, Specifica, Inc.
In this short course, students will learn about antibody basics, including structure, genetics and the generation of diversity, as well as the creation of naive antibody libraries in the phage and yeast display formats. This will include a description of phage and yeast display technologies, the creation of naïve libraries from natural and synthetic sources. The seminar will be fully interactive with students provided ample opportunities to discuss technology with instructors.
Room Location: Room 5C
SC3: Introduction to the Tumour Microenvironment and Response to Cancer Immunotherapy - Detailed Agenda
Mark Cragg, PhD, Professor, Experimental Cancer Biology, Antibody & Vaccine Group, Cancer Sciences Unit, University of Southampton
Frederick Arce Vargas, MD, PhD, MRCS, Group Leader, Translational Research, Autolus
The tumour microenvironment (TME) is a complex, dynamic environment in which extracellular matrix (ECM), soluble factors, immune cells, stromal cells and tumour cells interact. Each of these components is key to the establishment and growth of the tumour, as well as impacting tumour cell behaviour and response to treatment. For example, stromal cells such as fibroblasts and macrophages display tumour promoting properties, driving proliferation and survival whilst propagating an immunosuppressive environment. In this short course, we will discuss the nature of the TME, how the tumour promotes an immunosuppressive environment and what opportunities this presents for reversing immune suppression to deliver effective immunotherapy.
Room Location: Room 1.07
SC4: Mutation and Selection Strategies beyond Affinity Optimisation - Detailed Agenda
Brian Fennell, PhD, Senior Principal Scientist, BioMedicine Design (BMD), Pfizer Dublin
Fred Darmanin Sheehan, PhD, Senior Principal Scientist, Biomedicine Design, Pfizer Dublin
This course will begin with an introduction to the multiple display technology platforms, mutagenesis strategies and library generation options that exist to enable antibody optimization. In the simplest application, generated libraries can be selected for improved antigen binding. However, increasingly these strategies are being used for more complex applications from humanization to ortholog cross-reactivity, stability, solubility and specificity optimizations. This workshop will use case studies to help attendees navigate the complex workflows and technological options available to ensure success.
Room Location: Room 1.08
SC5: Surfactants in Biotherapeutics: Can’t Live with Them, Can’t Live without Them - Detailed Agenda
Atanas Koulov, PhD, Head, Drug Product Analytical Development and Quality Control, Drug Product Services, Lonza Pharma and Biotech
Hanns-Christian Mahler, PhD, Head, Drug Product Services, Lonza Pharma and Biotech
Satish Singh, PhD, Head, Drug Product Process Development, Drug Product Services, Lonza Pharma and Biotech
Surfactants are excipients critical to the stability of most biopharmaceutical parenteral formulations. They stabilize proteins in solutions by mitigating potential adsorption and interfacial stress-induced aggregation or precipitation encountered during many stages of production, shipment and use. The most commonly used surfactants are the non-ionic excipients, Polysorbate 20 and 80. However, the use of these surfactants can also lead to a number of liabilities related to stability (of the surfactant and of the active protein) as well as potential for pseudoallergenic reactions. Regulatory authorities are therefore also paying increasing attention to this critical excipient. This workshop will provide a complete perspective on the use and control of polysorbates in biotherapeutic products.
THURSDAY 15 NOVEMBER | 17:30 - 20:30 | DINNER
Room Location: Room 5A
SC7: Protein Aggregation: Mechanism, Characterization and Consequences - Detailed Agenda
Thomas Laue, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Director, Biomolecular Interaction Technologies Center (BITC), University of New Hampshire
Protein aggregation is recognized by regulatory agencies and the biopharmaceutical industry as a key quality attribute of biotherapeutic products. Various aggregates hold the potential for adversely impacting production and patients in a variety of ways. This in-depth workshop reviews the origins and consequences of aggregation in biotherapeutics, and then examines strategies for predicting and quantifying aggregation in biopharmaceuticals. It benefits scientists engaged in development, production, analytical characterization and approval of biotherapeutics and who require a good working knowledge of protein aggregation.
Room Location: Room 3A
SC8: Selection, Screening and Engineering for Affinity Reagents - Detailed Agenda
Julia Neugebauer, PhD, Director, MorphoSys AG
Birgit Dreier, PhD, Senior Scientist and Group Leader HT-BSF, Plückthun Lab, University of Zurich
Biologics such as recombinant antibodies and alternative binding scaffolds are routinely used in a wide variety of applications from basic research to clinical indications. This success has led to the development of a vast number of different selection, screening and engineering technologies for these molecules. This short course will give a comprehensive overview on different display technologies as well as screening approaches for the selection of specific binders. In addition, it will discuss engineering strategies including affinity maturation and how to implement these strategies. Classical antibodies and antibody fragments as well as alternative binding scaffolds such as DARPins will be covered.
Room Location: Room 3B
SC9: Optimising Protein Purification Strategies in Advance: Getting Your Plan Right - Detailed Agenda
David O’Connell, PhD, Lecturer, Biotherapeutics, Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, University College Dublin
This course addresses creating an effective strategy for purifying protein before beginning a purification project. What are key considerations before you launch an expression campaign? Which host should you select and why (Bacterial/Insect/Mammalian)? We will examine ways to reduce complexity in your strategy in order to efficiently increase productivity. We will also discuss how to establish redundant steps that support and guide protein purification.
Room Location: Room 3C
SC10: Engineering of Bispecific Antibodies - Detailed Agenda
Nicolas Fischer, PhD, Head, Research, Novimmune SA
Michela Silacci, PhD, Director, Discovery Research, Covagen AG, part of J&J
By attending this interactive workshop, you will learn about the various approaches used for the engineering of bispecific antibodies and bispecific scaffold-based binding proteins. Different technologies will be compared, and examples for applications of bispecific antibodies in drug development will be presented with a focus on candidates that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Opportunities and challenges as well as current trends in the field of bispecific antibodies will be discussed.
*Separate registration required.