2021 Archived Content

Breakout Discussions

Engage in in-depth discussions with industry experts and your peers about the progress, trends and challenges you face in your research!

Interactive discussion groups play an integral role in networking with potential collaborators. They provide an opportunity to share examples from your work, vet ideas with peers, and be part of a group problem-solving endeavor.

TUESDAY, MAY 11 | 12:20 – 1:00 PM

TABLE: Engineering Synthetic T Cell Receptors
Sai Reddy, PhD, Associate Professor, Systems and Synthetic Immunology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Rapid discovery of natural TCRs
Synthetic TCRs, how to make them safe from cross-reactivity
What possibilities are there for soluble TCRs
How to determine TCR specificity at high-throughput

TABLE: Barriers in the Tumor Microenvironment
Dan G. Duda, PhD, Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Soldano Ferrone, PhD, Professor-in-Residence, Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital

Vascular barrier in tumors
Multiple roles of hypoxia (low oxygen) in tumor tissue
The role of extracellular matrix
The role of myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment

TABLE: Tumor-Targeted Costimulatory Bispecific Antibodies to Enhance T Cell Activation in Solid Tumors
Gregory L. Moore, PhD, Director, Protein Engineering, Xencor Inc.

What is the preferred choice of costimulatory receptor? CD28, 4-1BB, or other? How does this influence bispecific format?
Which T cell populations are best to target? What about other effector cells (e.g., NK)?
What types of in vivo studies are most valuable? Mouse xenograft or syngeneic tumor models, or cynomolgus monkey?
Which clinical combinations should be pursued – CD3 bispecifics, checkpoint inhibitors, or other?

TABLE: Analytical Method Development for Emerging Biotherapeutic Modalities
Yi Wen, PhD, Research Scientist, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly & Co.

Challenges for cell and gene therapies
Challenges for novel and/or complex therapeutic proteins
Novel analytical methods for emerging biotherapeutic modalities
Best practices for improving the throughput and quality of analytical studies
Regulatory dialog and challenges for emerging modalities

TABLE: Ranking Product Attributes to Select an Appropriate Expression Platform
Taylor H. Schreiber, MD, PhD, CEO, Shattuck Labs

Can you predict?
When do you first know you got it right?
When is it too late to change course?

TABLE: Challenges in the Development of Therapeutics & Vaccines for COVID-19
Dimiter Dimitrov, PhD, Professor and Director, Center for Antibody Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh; Executive Vice President and CSO, Abound Bio

How has/will this pandemic transform R&D and manufacturing of future biologics and vaccines?
How to fight most effectively the SARS-CoV-2 mutants?
What are the lessons learned to inform future pandemic preparedness?

TABLE: Immunotherapy Safety and Toxicity

Saad Kenderian, PhD, Assistant Professor, Medicine and Oncology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine

Improving safety
Impact of tumor microenvironment
Emerging trends

THURSDAY, MAY 13 | 12:30 – 1:10 PM

TABLE: Linker Matters – Novel Linker Technologies and Its Impact on ADC Success
Philipp Spycher, PhD, CEO, Araris Biotech AG

Role of linker in ADC design and its key properties
Cleavable and non-cleavable linkers
Novel linker technologies

TABLE: T Cell Engaging Bispecifics: Understanding and Adding Signals to T Cell Engagers
Jonah Rainey, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Immetas Therapeutics

What we know (and don’t know) about the signaling associated with T cell activation by TCE
Bispecific antibody approaches to add signal 2 through additional bispecific antibody targeting 41BB or CD28
Combination with TNFRs and CPIs

TABLE: Can Machine Learning Accelerate Biotherapeutic Discovery?
Deborah S. Marks, PhD, Associate Professor, Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School

What data would enable the fast-track affinity and specificity design in parallel?
What machine learning and statistical methods do we need?
Should we concentrate on 'biased' library design or post-screening design?
How do we best combine molecular modeling e.g. Rosetta, alphafold etc - with statistical modeling?

TABLE: The Role of Denaturing and Native-MS in Biopharmaceutical Research: From mAbs to Membrane Proteins and Beyond
Iain Campuzano, PhD, FRSC, Senior Principal Scientist, Discovery Attribute Sciences, Amgen

LCMS in pharmaceutical research: can it be improved upon?
Native-MS in pharma: is it established or still niche? What needs to improve?
Required improvements for native-MS to become main-stream in pharma
LC-MS and native-MS in membrane protein analysis: what role does it have?

TABLE: Common Issues with Transient Protein Production
Richard Altman, Field Application Scientist, Life Science Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Henry C. Chiou, PhD, Director, Cell Biology, Life Science Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dominic Esposito, PhD, Director, Protein Sciences, Frederick National Laboratory

What are the current challenges to transient protein production?
What are the keys to optimizing expression?
How do we optimize the whole protein expression process?
How can we maintain volumetric yields while scaling transient expression up or down?
What cell line(s) should we use and when?
What parameters can impact the quality or physical attributes of transiently produced proteins?

TABLE: Application of Immunogenicity Prediction Tools and T Cell Response
Robin E. Walsh, Consultant Toxicologist, ImmunoToxicology, Eli Lilly & Co.