04/13/2022
By Sokny Long
The Francis College of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, invites you to attend a Doctoral Dissertation Proposal defense by Nermin Ibreljic on “Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) Transgene Size Effect on Separation of Full from Empty/Mis-packaged Capsids.”
Ph.D. Candidate: Nermin Ibreljic
Proposal Defense Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Time: From 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Southwick 204
Committee Chair (Advisor): Carl Lawton, Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, UMass Lowell
Committee Members
- Dongming Xie, Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, UMass Lowell
- Jin Xu, Professor, Chemistry, UMass Lowell
Brief Abstract:
Cell culture harvests of adeno associated virus (AAV) batches produce heterogenous AAV capsids with variable AAV capsid structures (as determined by their VP1/2/3 ratios) and variable packaging efficiencies. Purifying the therapeutic full AAV capsids from the empty and mis-packaged capsids proves difficult because the surface capsid structures are believed to be identical, thus purification methods based on adsorption binding are difficult. Typically, anion exchange chromatography (AEX) is applied to purify the therapeutic full AAV capsids from empty and mis-packaged capsids due to differences in surface charges. It is not understood what contribution the transgene inside the capsid has compared to the variable capsid structures produced in a cell culture batch on the capsid surface charge.
All interested students and faculty members are invited to attend.