7:25 - 7:55 Morning Coffee 

Useful Methods and Technology to Support Your Expression System

7:55 - 8:00 Chairperson's Remarks 

8:00 - 8:30 From Gene to Protein: A Review of New and Enabling Technologies for Multi-Parallel Baculovirus-Mediated Protein Expression
James M. Groarke, Ph.D., Fellow, Discovery Technologies, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research
We have initiated the development of a strategy for the rapid multi-parallel expression of proteins using baculovirus mediated protein expression. Our strategy utilises a deep-well block optimisation protocol and allows the rapid cloning and screening of multiple expression plasmids using baculovirus expression. Moreover, the system can be easily automated, thus providing a HT approach to protein production if desired. In addition, we have developed a fluorescence-based reporter system for monitoring insect cell infection and a micro-fluidic chip-based methodology for the calculation of baculovirus titre. Taken together these developments have greatly expedited protein production in our laboratory. These developments will be discussed in the context of protein production in an industrial setting in addition to other developments introduced by this group to enhance the throughput and efficiency of baculovirus directed protein expression. 

8:30 - 9:00 Baculovirus Titration Using TaqMan QPCR
Evangelia Siaterli, School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Headington Campus, Oxford Brookes University
The baculovirus expression vector (BEV) system is one of the most widely used systems for the production of high yields of recombinant protein, and is often the first choice eukaryotic system. Recently, bacmid technology developed in our laboratory has facilitated the automation of the production of recombinant baculoviruses. However, there are still several bottlenecks in the expression pipeline including the accurate estimation of virus titre. In this study, we describe the use of TaqMan quantitative PCR (QPCR) to accurately estimate baculovirus titres. 

9:00 – 9:30 Simple, Overnight Titration of Baculovirus and Scale Up Production of High Titer Virus Stock
Chao-Min Liu, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Leader, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.
We have developed a simple, rapid method of quantifying infective Baculovirus particles in virus stock. When insect cells are infected by Baculovirus, they swell in size. By correlating the degree of swelling of infected Sf-9 cells cultured in suspension with the amount of virus added to the culture, the titer of virus stock is quantitatively estimated using a Cedex Cell Analyzer. The assay requires no special reagents and is simple to perform. The results are available within 24 hours. The assay has greatly facilitated the production of numerous recombinant proteins using Baculovirus expression systems. 

9:30 - 10:00 TIPS: Titerless Infected Cells Preservation and Scale-up
David Wasilko, Senior Scientist, Protein and Cell Sciences Department, Groton Labs, Pfizer Global Research and Development
We have developed a very simple, fast, and versatile method, TIPS (Titerless Infected-cells Preservation and Scale-up), to prepare baculovirus stocks, optimize protein expression, and scale up the optimized process – without having to titer the virus and be concerned with the stability of virus stocks. Baculovirus is widely used for heterologous protein expression. However, there are several shortcomings in the current practice to preserve and scale up baculoviruses: (1) Virus stocks are unstable. (2) Laborious and time-consuming steps of titering and amplification are necessary for consistent viral infection, protein expression, and scale-up. (3) Even with all the titerings, protein expression still may vary. TIPS addresses and eliminates these issues. While this presentation is specifically directed to baculovirus, TIPS can be applied to other viruses.

10:00 – 10:40 Coffee Break, Exhibit and Poster Viewing

Vaccines & Immunotherapies

10:40 – 10:45 Chairperson's Remarks

10:45 – 11:15 Promising New Recombinant Hemagglutinin Influenza Vaccine 
Manon M.J. Cox, Ph.D., Chief Operations Officer, Protein Sciences Corporation
FluBlok, a trivalent recombinant influenza vaccine, has been developed by Protein Sciences utilizing the production of hemagglutinin in insect cells. FluBlok protected all healthy adults against influenza in a field study. Clinical study results of FluBlok obtained in the elderly and immune-comprised will be discussed. In addition, this novel approach was also used to produce the first avian influenza vaccine to enter human clinical trials.

11:15 – 11:45 Use of Insect Cells for the Production of Patient Specific Idiotype Immunotherapies for B-Cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 
Daniel P. Gold, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Favrille, Inc.
Pioneering academic studies conducted a decade ago utilizing patient specific idiotype immunotherapy to treat B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma offers a potential new treatment paradigm for patients with this disease. However, time and cost constraints for producing this therapy have prevented its commercial development. Our presentation will focus on the features of baculovirus and insect cell culture that make this manufacturing method optimal from a cost and product quality perspective for the timely delivery of these personalized therapies.

11:45 - 12:15 The Production of Antigen PA2024 with BEVS for Provenge (sipuleucel-T), a Novel Immunotherapy against Prostate Cancer
Gilles Lefebvre, Ph.D., Senior Process Development Engineer, Dendreon Corporation
Provenge® (sipuleucel-T) is an autologous active cellular immunotherapy product designed to stimulate an immune response against prostate cancer. It is composed of autologous antigen presenting cells that have been activated in vitro with a recombinant fusion protein antigen (PA2024) composed of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP, an antigen expressed in prostate cancer) linked to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Antigen PA2024 is produced by BEVS and Sf21 cells. The development of the PA2024 production process and its scale up to multi-thousand-liter cultures is a success story for BEVS. An overview of the antigen process, its challenges, and the promise of Provenge® will be given.

12:15 End of Baculovirus Technology

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Mary Ruberry, Conference Producer
Phone: 781-972-5421 • E-mail: mruberry@healthtech.com  

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Phone: 781-972-5452 • E-mail: scarroll@healthtech.com