The Medical Biotechnology Section Seminars are a series of bi-weekly lectures from external and internal researchers covering all aspects of research related to medical biotechnology in the broadest sense. The lectures are intended as interactive and lively forum and are therefore embedded in a social and networking event including coffee and snacks.
The lecture series is organised by the PhDs of the section. For more information, contact Josephine Baunvig Aagaard.
Lecture by: Prof. Steffen Goletz
Title: "The Sweet-Spot of Biopharmaceuticals”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Abstract:
Sugar chains play important roles in many biological and disease mechanisms. Glycoengineering is a key tool for elucidating the role of glycans in immunological and disease mechanisms. Optimizing the glycosylation of molecules and cells has a high potential for novel and superior biopharmaceuticals. My research is following my roots as a pioneer and entrepreneur in Biotherapeutic Glycoengineering and antibody engineering. The aim is to establish, expand and elaborate this research area at DTU in order to gain basic insights in the role of carbohydrates in immunological and disease processes and to generate novel biotherapeutic approaches and candidates in immuno-oncology and infectious diseases.
Info:
Steffen Goletz is heading the research group Biotherapeutic Glycoengineering & Immunology at DTU Bioengineering. After early career in academic research, e.g. MDC in Berlin and MRC in Cambridge, he founded, lead and matured Biotech companies successfully as CEO and CSO over 17 years before joining DTU in 2019. Steffen Goletz' research and innovation expertise ranges from molecular protein- and glycoengineering, glycooptimization and humanization of biopharmaceuticals, antibody and protein engineering, over bioprocess technologies, glycol-immunology and cellular glycoengineering to human gut microbiota research and the development of gut bacteria-based nutraceuticals for specific immunological applications, as well as novel glycoengineered GMP manufacturing systems and GMP production, and clinical development.
Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Section for Protein Science and Biotherapeutics, DTU
Lecture by: Prof. Barbara Bohle
Title: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away - new treatment approaches for birch pollen-related food allergy”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Biography:
Barbara Bohle has studied "Food- and Biotechnology" at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna In 2000 she received her PhD and in 2002 the Venia docendi in Immunology. Since then she leads the research group “Allergy Research” at the Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research at the Medical University of Vienna. In 2010 she was appointed a full professor for Cellular Allergology. Since 2011 she is the Head of the Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research and the Division of Experimental Allergology. From 2007-2015 she led the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Immunomodulation.
The main focus of her scientific work is the elucidation of the immune mechanisms underlying the induction, maintenance and therapy of IgE-mediated allergy. Her scientific work markedly contributed to the understanding of the pathophysiology of pollen-related food allergy and was awarded with prestigious national and international prizes. She is the author of >170 peer-reviewed scientific papers published in highly ranked journals in the field of allergy and immunology.
Prof. Barbara Bohle
Lecture by: Postdoc Shivesh Anand
Title: "Breaking the Silence: Biofabrication of Human Eardrum”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
It is estimated that by 2050, one in every ten people will suffer from disabling hearing loss. Perforated eardrums represent the most common injury to the human ear, often resulting in partial or complete hearing loss due to ineffective sound conduction. While microsurgical placement of autologous tissue grafts has long been considered the 'gold standard' for treating damaged eardrums, the inherent properties of these autografts can frequently impede optimal hearing restoration following recovery. Tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach to address some of these challenges. In this seminar, I will delve into the innovative biofabrication, biomaterial, and bioreactor-driven regenerative therapies that I developed during my PhD on eardrum reconstruction at the MERLN Institute in Maastricht, Netherlands. Join me as we break the silence and explore these cutting-edge technologies!
Lecture by: Postdoc Christoph Alexander Müller
Title: "Graphitic carbon nitride towards multiscale leadless bioelectric modulation”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Materials that allow biomodulation and control of electrophysiological processes hold tremendous therapeutic potential. In my talk, I will present the organic semiconductor graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with its potential to achieve leadless biomodulation and precise control of biological processes. Particularly, g-C3N4 is incorporated with biomimetic nanostructured fibers or particles, that allow optical modulation of bioelectricity on the subcellular, intercellular, and tissue level.
Lecture by: Bjarke Krogstrup Jensen, PhD student
Title: “Evaluation of the Mechano-Physical Properties and Biocompatibility of Alginate, GelMA, and Alginate-GelMA Hydrogels for Cellular Encapsulation”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
I will present the work performed in my master thesis regarding the evaluation of Alginate, GelMA, and a combination thereof in the field of tissue engineering. The presentation will cover both mechano-physical characterization and assessment of biocompatibility and immunogenicity.
PhD student
Lecture by: Stine Wendelboe Jensen, master student
Title: ”Affinity maturation of nanobodies by yeast display”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
The presentation will focus on the establishment of affinity maturation techniques of antibodies using yeast surface display. The work preformed in the project is within the context of therapeutic single domain antibodies and their expression, mutagenesis and use for library generation and selection.
master student
Lecture by: Postdoc Jesper Guldsmed Madsen
Title: "Comparative Physiology in Biomedical Research”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
The complexity of problems facing biomedical researchers, who try to improve the conditions of human life, can be staggering. However, through evolution, nature has created a vast myriad of physiological solutions to challenges presented to animals by their environment. These animals are invaluable for understanding how certain physiological problems can be overcome.
Lecture by: Associate Professor Edzard Spillner
Title: "Update on structural and functional aspects of IgE”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
IgE is the trigger which is pulled upon exposure to an allergen and its mode of action is crucial for both the development and prevention of disease. In this presentation our basic understanding of this key player of allergic disease and the recent insights will be highlighted and discussed.
Lecture by: Dr. Naveen Kumar Nirchal
Title: "Zooming into the Gastroesophageal Junction: Single-Cell Revelations of histogenesis & Barrett's Esophagus Beginnings"
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Exploring the fascinating world of Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) health and disease through the lens of cutting-edge single-cell sequencing and 3D stem cell-derived organoids. Delving into the intricate spatiotemporal cellular dynamics that may hold the key to understanding metaplasia and cancer development at the GEJ.
Lecture by: Master Student Mathias Sønderholm Larsen
Title: "Discovery and characterization of nanobodies for inhibition of Hymenoptera venom allergy"
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Hymenoptera venom allergy is one of the main causes of anaphylaxis and is caused by the binding of venom allergens to receptor-bound IgE on the surface of effector cells. In my master project, I have selected and characterized nanobodies against one of the major wasp venom allergens. The selected nanobodies have the potential to block the binding of IgE to the allergen and thus prevent anaphylaxis upon exposure to the allergen.
Master Student
Lecture by: Professor Peter Korosec
Title: ”Immunological and genetic biomarkers for severity of allergic reactions”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Information about the lecture will follow soon.
Professor, University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Golnik, Slovenia
Lecture by: Business Developer Steen Buchhave Villadsen
Title: "Introduction to The Kitchen and our initiatives”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Steen will talk about the startup hub "The Kitchen" as well as give examples of startups that emerged from the research-world.
Lecture by: Project Coordinator Sara Seidelin Majidi
Title: "An Innoexplorer journey”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Sara will talk about the process of applying for an Innoexplorer grant and how this grant can be used. Furthermore, she will talk about her experience with the journey of going from products in the lab to attempting to bring them into the market.
Lecture by: PhD student Youssif Y. Merhi
Title: "Printed dry electrode for neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for e-textile”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Muscle atrophy is a well-known consequence of immobilization and critical illness, leading to prolonged rehabilitation and increased mortality. In this study, we develop a solution to preserve muscle mass using customized biocompatible neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device. We demonstrate the printing of conducting electrodes on a compressive stocking textile that can be used for more than seven days without observing any inflammation. This solution consists of a dry and biocompatible electrode directly integrated into the textile with good mechanical compatibility with the skin.
Lecture by: PhD Student Pon Ganish Prakash
Title: "Modeling uterine cervix infections and disease using patient-derived 3D organoids at single-cell resolution”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Uterine cervix protects the upper reproductive tract from ascending pathogens; however, in some cases, it succumbs to the virulence of pathogens and carcinogenesis. Our study identified regenerative signatures of uterine ecto- and endocervical epithelial niches and their unique defense blueprint against infections at single-cell resolution.
PhD Student
Lecture by: PhD Student Bjarke Nørrehvedde Jensen
Title: "Wireless electromagnetic neural stimulation patch with anisotropic guidance for neural regeneration”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
The human body is limited in healing neurological damage caused by diseases or traumatic injury and advanced neurological therapeutics are required to repair damaged tissue. Electrical stimulation is known to promote neural growth and differentiation. Here, a wireless electromagnetic stimulation scaffold was created for the first time, combining stimulation through electromagnetic induction with physical guiding cues through structural anisotropy. The melt electrowritten polycaprolactone anisotropic structure with 80 nm gold coating directly employed the energy harvesting component (induction coil) as the stimulation delivery interface for direct contact of cells.
Lecture by: Postdoc João Ramos
Title: ”Biophysical studies of SorCS2 interactions required for synaptic plasticity”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
SorCS2 is an important player in the trafficking of neuronal receptors to the synapses. These receptors activate cellular pathways that dictate either cell survival and proliferation or apoptosis. Using biophysical and structural methods we aim to characterize SorCS2 interactions with these receptors to better understand its role in neurological diseases.
Lecture by: Emilie Benedikte Rytter Olesen and Amalie Lykke Olsen
Title: ”Optimizing lipid nanoparticles to include DNA repair template for homology directed repair following mRNA-based CRISPR gene editing”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
CRISPR technology have shown great clinical potential towards neurodegenerative disseases, here amongst muscular dystrophy. A key need that is still unmet is how to efficiently deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutic complex into the diseased cells. Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) can encapsulate RNA and have shown great potential as a gene and drug delivery system in therapeutic applications.
Master Student
Master Student
Lecture by: AC-TAP Pernille Ommen Andersen and Postdoc Anne-Sofie R. Ballegaard
Title: ”Isolation of antigen-specific nanobodies by combining animal immunization with yeast surface display”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
In our laboratory we engineer and produce nanobodies towards different targets of interest in allergy.
In this presentation we will take you on the journey from animal immunization to in vitro and in vivo testing of identified nanobodies, and we will show how we use yeast surface display in the selection process.
Lecture by: Stephanie Descroix
Title: ”Developing organ on chip for biology and clinics”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
The development of a new generation of in vitro models is of interest in different fields such as basic research in life science to decipher physiological and patho-physiological mechanisms or in pharma companies to drastically improve drug screening process. In the last decade, basic research showed how our understanding of the behavior of physiological and patho-physiological systems can be greatly increased thanks to a rational simplification of the human body in artificial microsystems. Among these different models, organ on chips are considered today as key technologies.
In this talk, we will demonstrate how microfluidics and microfabrication can be used to develop new relevant in vitro models in particular a gut on chip model that allows to the study for the first time he interplay between, stromal and epithelial cells.
As a critical problem in the development and deployment of effective anti-cancer treatments remains the lack of adequate in-vitro model systems, in a second part, I will focus on tumor on chip development recapitulating in vitro the complexity of the tumor-microenvironment.
Doctor, Research Director CNRS, Institut Curie, Paris
Dr. Stéphanie Descroix is team leader of the MMBM team at Institut Curie Paris and Institut Pierre Gilles De Gennes. Her team is worldly renowned for development of microfluidic device and concepts for fundamental biology, biophysics and clinic, with a strong commitment to technology transfer in the field of medicine and life sciences. The MMBM team is cofounder of the Institut Pierre Gilles De Gennes for Microfluidics.
Lecture by: Catalina Suarez
Title: ”In silico study of the transport mechanisms of the blood brain barrier”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
This study presents the modelling of different transport mechanisms of molecules through the blood brain barrier in COMSOL, attempting to replicate experimental results found in literature to create a functional and accurate computational model to predict how particles will behave when crossing from the blood stream to the brain or viceversa.
Master Student
Lecture by: Hekla Liv Mariasdottir
Title: ”Blood-Brain Barrier Models in vitro: Image Analysis of Vesicular Trafficking and 3D Growth Guidance of Brain Endothelial Cells”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
The restrictive properties of the blood brain barrier (BBB) make drug delivery to the brain challenging. Questions related to the exact route of molecular transport across the BBB remain unanswered, however transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated transcytosis through endothelial cells is believed to be a promising target for delivering therapeutics to the brain. I will present the master thesis I’m currently working on, focusing on super resolution microscopy of vesicular transport in endothelial cells, as well as mechanical studies of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain endothelial cells grown on 3D scaffolds.
Master Student
Lecture by: Jens Vinge Nygaard
Title: ”EMBLs Mathematics for Life”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
I will report on the recent EMBL course Mathematics for Life detailing how biochemetry and pathways is modelled and used to describe cellular behavior. I will then focus on what is wrong with a perspective on cells that is solely based on chemistry and introduce the concept of mechanogeometry that we will explore in a upcoming new project funded by a VILLUM Synergy grant between mathematics and BCE at AU.
Lecture by: Christoph Alexander Müller
Title: ”Optoresponsive particles for intracellular electrical interrogation”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Wireless electrical modulation of cells via opto-stimulation is an emerging approach to trigger and control bioelectric phenomena with high spatiotemporal resolution. In my talk, I will show how optoresponsive materials like graphitic carbon nitride can be used to control neural growth, and act as a tool for intracellular electrical interrogation.
Lecture by: Mikkel Haarslev S. Marqvorsen
Title: ”From Glycosylation to Immunology - A brief tour of miscellaneous projects”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Mikkel Marqvorsen is a newly appointed teaching assistant professor at BCE. In this talk, Mikkel will provide a brief overview of the various fields in which he has worked during the course of a ph.d and two postdoc positions before starting at BCE in June. Mikkel started as a ph.d. student working on glycosylation chemistry at the Dept. of Chemistry (AU) and then worked on the interface between organic chemistry and cell biology (Chemical Biology) in Leiden (NL) for three years before returning to AU at the Dept. of Biomedicine to focus on Immune Cell Biology.
Lecture by: Simon Sutter Rolighed
Title: ”Enriching Synaptosomes for Imaging”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Synaptosomes are isolated synaptic terminals from neurons obtained by homogenization of brain tissue followed by fractionation using Percoll density gradient centrifugation. We have found that these samples contain a variety of vesicular structures, making the search and identification of synaptosomes a challenging and time-consuming task. This presentation will be part two of my master's thesis on the use of immunomagnetic isolation for selective enrichment of synaptosomes.
Lecture by: Josephine Baunvig Aagaard
Title: ”Nanobody-based inhibitors of allergen-mediated anaphylaxis”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Hymenoptera venom allergy is one of the most common causes of anaphylaxis. Central in the allergic reaction is the binding of venom allergens to IgE/receptor complexes on the surface of effector cells triggering immediate allergic reactions and potentially anaphylaxis. In my PhD project, I have developed and characterized nanobodies and nanobody-based formats that block the IgE/allergen interaction and thereby potentially reduce the risk of anaphylaxis during allergen exposure.
Lecture by: Peter Johansen
Title: ”Experimental Cardiovascular Biomechanics”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
This talk gives an overview of ongoing projects in CAVE Lab. Common for all projects are that they are anchored in clinical problems and challenges and therefore conducted in close collaboration with cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists. The general approach is to create in vitro models that can mimic the physiology surrounding different devices, implants, and procedures.
Lecture by: Thomas Lykke-Møller Sørensen
Title: ”Highlight(s) from EMBO/EMBL symposium on Mechanobiology”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Lecture by: Frederik Høbjerg Svejsø
Title: ”Anti-EpCAM Conjugated Melt-Electrowritten Microfibrous Filter for Capturing and Culturing Circulating Tumor Cells”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
This presentation will focus on my Master's thesis, where I am utilizing melt-electrowriting to fabricate porous filters of polycaprolactone (PCL). The fiber surface is subsequently conjugated with an anti-EpCAM antibody to allow for affinity-based capture of rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a liquid biopsy, i.e. a blood sample. Due to the biocompatibility of PCL, the caught CTCs will be cultured ex vivo directly on the filter and the formed clusters may contain information useful for personalized medicine.
Master Student
Lecture by: Pernille Ommen Andersen
Title: ”Development of a targeted drug delivery system for Staphylococcus aureus biofilm infections”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Conventional antibiotic treatment is inadequate for eradication of bacterial biofilm infections as only sublethal concentrations can be administered safely to patients. A potential solution to this challenge is targeted drug delivery.
In my PhD study, we tailored an aptamer-targeted liposomal drug delivery system that accumulates in S. aureus biofilm and delivers a combination of antibiotics locally inside the biofilm. In this presentation I will show the results and discuss what we learned from the study.
Lecture by: Peter Johansen
Title: ”Experimental Cardiovascular Biomechanics”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
This talk gives an overview of ongoing projects in CAVE Lab. Common for all projects are that they are anchored in clinical problems and challenges and therefore conducted in close collaboration with cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists. The general approach is to create in vitro models that can mimic the physiology surrounding different devices, implants, and procedures.
Lecture by: Camilla Jessen
Title: ”Establishment and Characterization of Polymicrobial Inter-kingdom three-species biofilm models mimicking the microenvironment of In Vivo Chronic Wounds in Diabetic Foot Ulcers”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Chronic wounds have become a global health problem. Chronic wounds are often infected with polymicrobial biofilms that hinders the normal healing of wounds. Consequently, chronic wounds remain in the inflammatory phase of healing. In vitro studies of chronic wounds often utilizes simple, monocultural models that exhibit unrealistic fast eradication of biofilms, once treated with antimicrobials. Given that these results are not observed in the clinic, there has become a need for more complex in vitro models comprised of multiple microbes. During my thesis, i aim to establish a polymicrobial, inter-kingdom biofilm model comprised of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans.
Master Student
Lecture by: Alice Le Friec
Title: ”Cellularized biomaterials for neural tissue engineering”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
I will first discuss cell and biomaterial co-transplantation for regenerative medicine in the Central Nervous System. I will then introduce my latest research, which aims to design a cryopreservable cellularized scaffold for neural tissue repair.
Lecture by: Anne-Sofie Ravn Ballegaard
Title: ”Food allergy sensitization – knowledge from animal studies”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
The presentation will give an overview of food allergy and different routes of sensitization. This will include results from animal studies with a focus on intestinal permeability and immune responses.
Lecture by: Simon Sutter Rolighed
Title: ”Enriching synaptosomes for imaging”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
Synaptosomes are isolated synaptic terminals from neurons which are obtained by homogenization of brain tissue followed by fractionation using Percoll density gradient centrifugation. We have found that these samples contain a variety of vesicular structures making the search and identification of synaptosomes challenging and time-consuming task. I’ll discuss our efforts to selective enrich the sample for synaptosomes.
Lecture by: Naija From Munk-Pedersen
Title: “Development of new mri protocol for knee osteoarthritis”
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Building 3130, Room 303.
