New AAV capsid filling paper! @Cytiva EngD student Qiantong Chen suspected transfected gene expression misalignment in standard procedures, trialled new timings & achieved 7.5-fold more capsid filling #EngBio #AAV cell.com/molecular-therapy-f…

Royal Society of Chemistry one-day symposium on Biotransformations in London: 16th December 2025. Early bird deadline 16th Nov. Use the link below to register now! rsc.org/events/detail/81989/…

Fully Functional AAV Viral Vectors with Highly Altered Structural Cores and Subunit Interfaces Using ProteinMPNN 1. A novel study explores the potential of ProteinMPNN, a deep learning tool, to redesign AAV2 viral vectors, achieving significant alterations in their structural cores and subunit interfaces while maintaining functionality. This work could revolutionise gene therapy by creating vectors that evade pre-existing immunity and improve manufacturing efficiency. 2. The researchers targeted 52% of AAV2 residues for redesign, focusing on buried protein cores and subunit interfaces. Despite extensive mutations (14-30%), the redesigned capsids remained functional and intact, with some variants showing improved packaging or transduction efficiency. This demonstrates the power of AI in protein engineering. 3. The study used a novel approach by combining ProteinMPNN with ancestral sequence reconstruction to generate “virtual ancestors” of the redesigned capsids. This method expanded the sequence space and provided additional viable candidates for functional AAV vectors. 4. One of the most promising variants, “Chimera,” achieved a 2.5-fold increase in packaging efficiency compared to wild-type AAV2, while the “Pentamer” variant showed superior transduction efficiency. These results highlight the potential for AI-driven design to enhance key properties of viral vectors. 5. The study also revealed that mutations in the redesigned capsids did not correlate with natural sequence conservation, suggesting that ProteinMPNN can explore sequence space beyond what is naturally observed. This could lead to the creation of AAV vectors with entirely new properties. 6. The findings pave the way for further engineering of AAV capsids to modify tropism, reduce immunogenicity, and improve overall vector performance. This work represents a significant step forward in the rational design of viral vectors for gene therapy. 📜Paper: biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/… #AAV #GeneTherapy #ProteinEngineering #AI #ProteinMPNN #ViralVectors #Biotechnology

Fully functional AAV viral vectors with highly altered structural cores and subunit interfaces using ProteinMPNN biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/… #biorxiv_bioeng

Amazing funded PhD opportunities here at UCL Biochemical Engineering, e.g. Gene therapy vector engineering for sustainable manufacture Deadline 28 Jan To see the full list and how to apply go to: buff.ly/33bG6KF

Find me in blue sky- bye bye Elon

And we’re off @BioProNETUK hosted at @GSK in Stevenage. Early careers session first. Ps - the audience were told not to sit in the middle. I wonder why?

UCL researchers, apply by 12 June. Up to £80,000 in funding to accelerate translational research in: cell and gene therapies; regenerative medicine; medical devices; diagnostics; small molecules; biologics; and repurposing and data/digital-based healthcare innovations.

In case you missed it, UCL has signed up to a ground-breaking new agreement aimed at making research more environmentally sustainable. Read our news story to learn more. @profgeraintrees @wellcometrust ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/apr/ucl-…

The @BBSRC have announced funding to implement, improve or consolidate bioinformatics or biological resources in support of UK bioscience. Apply for the 2024 Bioinformatics and Biological Resources Fund! 💷Maximum award £2,000,000 🗓️Deadline: 7 May 2024 ukri.org/opportunity/bioinfo…

📢[15 May]Webinar: Formulations of RNAs and antibodies for pulmonary delivery Join Dr Jenny Lam to explore particle engineering techniques and formulation strategies to deliver biologics for respiratory diseases Register: bit.ly/44h0est @School_Pharmacy @UCLLifeSciences

Join us to hear about Steve's journey, from target discovery 🎯to drug development 💉. Online, register below⬇️

Crispr is go! bbc.co.uk/news/health-674352…

ECR Interview Series #2: Dr Stephanie Efthymiou shares her ideas on on characterizing an organoid model with the aim of rescuing the defective NARS1 gene. She is an awardee of the TINs Pilot Data Scheme. Full interview: bit.ly/3QgrAbA

Recruiting for a funded PhD opportunity at UCL to evaluate the “Impact of AAV capsid redesigns on titres, processing and stability“ with @pdalby Details and application form below: ucl.ac.uk/epsrc-doctoral-tra… ucl-epsrc-dtp.github.io/2024…

Thank you @RoySocChem for my long service award.

Very exciting collaborative PHD studentship between MHRA and UCL on structural characterisation of biotherapeutics. Apply now. findaphd.com/phds/project/ma…

Happy to be back at @ucl #London joining @UCLBiochemEng1 as an associate professor! It will be great to start working soon with lovely talented colleagues in #Synbio #Engbio #metabolic #bioprocess #engineering #biocatalysis

Definitely a major factor.

Register below for our next Division of Medicine ECR Network Research Culture Seminar: 'Science Communication' Prof Christina Pagel (@chrischirp)
Professor of Operational Research
Department of Mathematics, UCL eventbrite.co.uk/e/science-c… We are really looking forward to this one!