BioE COLLOQUIA SERIES: Understanding and Controlling Protein Self-Assembly for Development of Therapeutic Materials
Event details
| Date | 09.12.2019 |
| Hour | 12:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Julie A. Champion, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (USA) |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)
Abstract:
Proteins can provide therapeutic functions simply not possible with small molecule drugs, but their large size and folded structure present critical challenges in terms of delivery, stability and activity. We take advantage of protein size, structure and the ability to interact with other proteins to create therapeutic protein materials via self-assembly routes not available for small molecules. The ability to control assembly of therapeutic proteins is essential to manipulating the final physical properties of the material, ensuring retention of protein activity, and directing the interactions between materials and cells. The main goal of our work is to create materials made directly from therapeutic proteins and apply these to autoimmune disease, vaccines and cancer. This is accomplished through a combination of self-assembly and/or bio-conjugation processes. In each case, we apply a rational protein design strategy and perform extensive characterization to understand the structures formed, their dynamics and stability, and how to tune the material properties for specific applications. These properties significantly affect how the protein materials interact with biological systems and the current status of application of these materials towards therapeutic targets will be shared.
Bio:
Research Interests:
Education:
Zoom link for attending remotely: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/942340541.
(sandwiches served)
Abstract:
Proteins can provide therapeutic functions simply not possible with small molecule drugs, but their large size and folded structure present critical challenges in terms of delivery, stability and activity. We take advantage of protein size, structure and the ability to interact with other proteins to create therapeutic protein materials via self-assembly routes not available for small molecules. The ability to control assembly of therapeutic proteins is essential to manipulating the final physical properties of the material, ensuring retention of protein activity, and directing the interactions between materials and cells. The main goal of our work is to create materials made directly from therapeutic proteins and apply these to autoimmune disease, vaccines and cancer. This is accomplished through a combination of self-assembly and/or bio-conjugation processes. In each case, we apply a rational protein design strategy and perform extensive characterization to understand the structures formed, their dynamics and stability, and how to tune the material properties for specific applications. These properties significantly affect how the protein materials interact with biological systems and the current status of application of these materials towards therapeutic targets will be shared.
Bio:
Research Interests:
- Developing therapeutic protein materials, where the protein is both the drug and the delivery system
- Engineering proteins to control and understand protein particle self-assembly
- Repurposing and engineering pathogenic proteins for human therapeutics
- Creating materials that mimic cell-cell interactions to modulate immunological functions for various applications, including inflammation, cancer, autoimmune disease, and vaccination
Education:
- B.S.E 2001, University of Michigan
- Ph.D. 2007, University of California, Santa Barbara
Zoom link for attending remotely: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/942340541.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Prof. Maartje Bastings, EPFL
Contact
- Institute of Bioengineering (IBI), Christina Mattsson