Congratulations to the PEGS Boston Summit Poster Winners

Shelby Knoche, SRI International

Utilizing a Cancer-Specific Peptide to Deliver a Novel Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer
TALL is a targeted nanomedicine-based cellular immunotherapy for delivering a synthetic immunogenic peptide derived from the measles virus to specifically target cancer cells and facilitate antigen presentation through the MHC class I pathway. TALL’s targeted delivery system utilizes peptidic molecular guidance systems (MGSs) that bind and internalize into cancer cells. TALL helps to recruit T cells into tumors and synergizes with immune checkpoint inhibitors, reducing tumor growth.

Alexander Partin, A2 Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Defining the Biophysical Design Parameters for Logic-Gated CAR-T Systems
Logic-gated CAR-T systems are a promising strategy to enforce tumor selectivity, but pose new considerations for receptor design. To inform design goals for expanding the Tmod system, which employs a protective NOT gate, we characterized how antigen geometry and affinity influence inhibitory function. We define the optimal parameters for target antigens and show that a broad range of antigens can be effectively targeted using engineered hinges that enforce ideal geometry.

Héctor Sánchez-Morán from the University of Colorado, Boulder

Single Molecule FRET Reveals Protein Dual Stabilization Mechanism in an Immobilization Support
Immobilization matrices for biosensor applications may promote protein unfolding via unknown mechanisms. We designed polymeric supports with novel monomers to immobilize enzymes, and we found that these supports dramatically improved protein stability in denaturing conditions. Single molecule FRET protein dynamics study revealed that optimally stabilizing supports promote dual faster refolding and slower unfolding, resulting in more time-averaged folded protein.