The Chain: Protein Engineering Podcast

You can’t forecast the next epidemic with precision, so why do we keep building preparedness plans that depend on guessing? Host Dennis Burton, Ph.D., sits down with Jim Crowe, Jr., M.D., professor and director of the Vaccine Center at Vanderbilt University, to map a more durable approach: AHEAD 100—Advanced Human Epidemic Antibody Defenses 100—an index-fund-style program to create and stockpile human monoclonal antibody drugs for the 100 infections most likely to spark major outbreaks. The goal is to take best-in-class neutralizing antibodies, move them beyond early clinical testing, and get them ready to deploy when the world needs them. They also honestly discuss scientific accountability, what the public is asking of researchers, and how to think about gain-of-function research without slogans. Links from this episode: The Scripps Research Institute Vanderbilt University Medical Center

How have antibody trends changed over the decades? Janice Reichert, Ph.D., founder and editor-in-chief of mAbs , joins host Paul Carter, Ph.D., to discuss the evolution of monoclonal antibody therapeutics and their experiences with shaping—and documenting—the field. Their conversation covers the advances that have transformed the industry, evolving success rates for antibody therapeutics, and the growing sophistication of multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and more. Plus, they discuss both AI and China's emergence as major forces in antibody development. Links from this episode: Genentech mAbs

July 14, 2026 | Most ADCs today lean on the same Topo-1 payloads—and resistance is catching up. Jack Elands, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Adcytherix, speaks with host Rakesh Dixit, Ph.D. about what “next-generation ADCs” should mean if we care about patients, not just pipeline counts. Their conversation gets specific about where differentiation comes from: novel payloads with new mechanisms of action, better therapeutic index choices, and smarter design decisions that reduce the toxicities that make patients quit therapy early. They also pressure-test the hype around bispecific ADCs and dual-payload ADCs. Links from this episode: Adcytherix

At this year’s PEGS Boston, industry experts gathered on a panel to explore how AI and machine learning are deployed in biologics R&D today. Moderated by Peter M. Tessier, Ph.D., Albert M. Mattocks professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering at University of Michigan, the panel consisted of Andrew Buchanan, Ph.D., head of discovery at a stealth-mode biotech company; Norbert Furtmann, Ph.D., head of biologics AI and design of large molecules research at Sanofi; Konrad S. Krawczyk, Ph.D., founder and CSO at NaturalAntibody SA; Andrew C.R. Martin, Ph.D., emeritus professor of bioinformatics and computational biology at University College London; Melody Shahsavarian, Ph.D., senior director of data strategy and digital transformation of biotherapeutics discovery research at Eli Lilly & Company; and Bernhardt L. Trout, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Links from this episode: Pharmaceutical Sciences & Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan University of Michigan Sanofi NaturalAntibody SA Bioinformatics, UCL Biosciences Computational Biology, UCL University College London Eli Lilly & Company

May 12, 2026 | When it comes to drug discovery, either you find a rare, clean target and everything clicks, or you spend a decade chasing biology that refuses to cooperate. Daniel Chen, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of Synthetic Design Lab, makes the case for a different playbook: objective-driven protein engineering, where we start with the outcome and design biologics that can execute it with built-in logic. With host Andrew Bradbury, Chen unpacks the SYNTHBODY platform and what “multi-tier logic gating” means in real drug design. They dive into logic-gated antibody drug conjugates, where target summation can boost binding, internalization, trafficking, and payload delivery and where an additional AND gate can trigger multiplier functions that go beyond cytotoxic payloads. Links from this episode: Specifica Synthetic Design Lab

How is BindCraft, the automated pipeline for de novo protein binder design, changing the protein design industry? Martin Pacesa, assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Zurich, joins The Chain to discuss how BindCraft is helping non-protein designers learn how to design proteins—and how the role of the protein designer will evolve. With host Chris Bahl, their conversation explores how BindCraft may help with drug development, its role in the democratization of tools and resources, and how to work more collaboratively with AI models. Pacesa will also be speaking at May’s PEGS Summit in Boston. Links from this episode: AI Proteins UZH - Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Zurich Models & Molecules Podcast

T cell and immune cell engagement is gaining traction, but what makes it different from other therapies? Patrick Baeuerle, Ph.D., chief scientific advisor at Cullinan Therapeutics, and Jeffrey Miller, M.D., deputy director of Masonic Cancer Center, join The Chain to discuss the advantages, similarities, and differences of T cell and immune cell engagers, and how they compare to other modalities such as CAR T cells. Hosted by Laszlo Radvanyi, Ph.D., their conversation covers engineering recognition of multiple targets, prospects for peptide MHC engagers and NK cells engagers, and the application of these modalities to oncology and beyond. Links from this episode: University of Toronto, Department of Immunology University of Toronto Cullinan Therapeutics Masonic Cancer Center

During last year’s PEGS Europe, industry experts gathered on a panel to discuss the future of biologic therapeutics. The panel kicked off with a presentation on 50 years of monoclonals, from hybridomas to next-gen antibody therapeutics, followed by a conversation featuring Paul Carter, Ph.D., Genentech Fellow of Antibody Engineering, G. Jonah Rainey, Ph.D., associate vice president of Eli Lilly and Company, and Janine Schuurman, Ph.D., biotech consultant at Lust for Life Science B.V. Moderated by Daniel Chen, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of Synthetic Design Lab, the discussion centered around whether half-life extended peptides will eventually replace multispecific antibodies. Links from this episode: PEGS Europe PEGS Synthetic Design Lab Genentech Eli Lilly and Company Lust for Life Science B.V.

How has immunotherapy evolved in the last decade? In this episode of The Chain, Laszlo Radvanyi, professor of immunology at the University of Toronto, discusses his years-long research on cancer immunotherapy, including his time at MD Anderson, with host Rakesh Dixit. He shares his thoughts on agonist antibodies, the true breakthroughs that are moving the needle for patients, reducing the CD-28 pathway so that it doesn’t produce cytokine toxins, and what is the next frontier in immunotherapy. Links from this episode: EpiVax University of Toronto, Department of Immunology University of Toronto

December 13, 2025 | What is next for immunogenicity? In this episode of The Chain, Vibha Jawa, chief scientific officer at EpiVax, provides her thoughts and insights on BiTE molecules, pegylated molecules, and other biologic molecules and their impact on cancer treatment and research with host Rakesh Dixit. Jawa shares the most rewarding project she’s worked on and what therapeutic modality she sees being picked up in the next decade, as well as advice for the next generation of scientists, such as why it’s important to be hands-on with research and be collaborative with others. Links from this episode: EpiVax

November 11, 2025 | What is the next modality to focus on in the next 10 years? For Bahija Jallal, CEO of Immunocore, it would be T-cell engagers. In this episode of The Chain, host Rakesh Dixit speaks with Jallal on the potential advantages of bispecific T-cell engager therapy versus T-cell receptor therapy, biggest anticipated changes in drug discovery and development in the next 10 years, and how AI is going to impact the next generation of scientists. Plus, Jallal shares her experiences as the previous president of MedImmune and at AstraZeneca, what her most rewarding project was, and the transformations and achievements that occurred under her leadership. Links from this episode: Immunocore

As drug development pushes into more complex antibody formats, the big question is: how do you really assess developability? In this episode, host Nimish Gera speaks with Shamit Shrivastava, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Apoha, to dive into Liquid Brain, his interdisciplinary innovation that’s changing the way researchers tackle developability of challenging antibody-based drugs. Shamit breaks down what makes Liquid Brain different from traditional developability methods, reveals how it’s unlocking new possibilities for complex format development, and shares a glimpse into Apoha’s future-including an exclusive preview of what’s coming at PEGS Europe this November.

September 16, 2025 | With the rise of AI and automation, what is the core human skill in drug discovery that is and will be valuable in the future? Derek Lowe, director of Chemical Biology Therapeutics at Novartis and author of the In the Pipeline blog, discusses the impact of AI—and non-AI technologies—on the business of drug making. With host Christopher Bahl, cofounder and CEO of AI Proteins, their conversation covers the value of a PhD in the tech world today, the long-term impacts of knowledge creation in US leadership positions, how the industry can navigate a biotech winter, and more. Links from this episode: AI Proteins Novartis In the Pipeline

August 12, 2025 | Diagonal Therapeutics founder and CEO Alexey Lugovskoy discusses the key lessons learned over his illustrious career, starting from his childhood in the Soviet Union to founding his own company, Diagonal Therapeutics. With host Tariq Ghayur, Lugovskoy shares insights gained from working with organizations of different sizes, taking on the obstacles of building a pipeline, and integrating AI/ML into discovery programs, as well as his most memorable achievement—and most memorable failure. He also offers advice to young scientists and entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of challenging problems and surrounding yourself with the right people.

July 15, 2025 | Are licensing fees required or gatekeeping? In this episode of The Chain, host Nimish Gera, vice president of Biologics at Mythic Therapeutics, and Ian Wilkinson, CEO of Gamma Proteins, discuss accessing antibody discovery technology through licensing fees and royalties—and whether these fees are justified or not. Wilkinson delves into the current landscape of antibody discovery technologies, including if AI-based technology warrants fees, how royalties affect both small companies and big pharma, and his background as one of the first experts in the field who offered purely free-for-service options. He also shares what excites him about antibody engineering and beyond. Links from this episode: Mythic Therapeutics Gamma Proteins

June 10, 2025 | In this bonus episode of The Chain, Daniel Chen, MD, PhD, founder and CEO of Synthetic Design Lab, returns for the Science Commune segment and speaks with Keith Flaherty, MD, FAACR, professor of Medicine of Harvard Medical School and president-elect of AACR. They discuss Flaherty’s prolific career; how his background led him to pursue a career in medicine; how public and private sectors are coming together in oncology around collaborations; reflections on targeted therapies and technologies; optimism around how AI will impact society and the future of medicine positively; and how we need to detect and treat disease early. Links from this episode: PEGS Boston Conference & Expo Engineering Bispecific Antibodies Synthetic Design Lab Harvard Medical School AACR

June 10, 2025 | This episode of The Chain features a panel discussion from May’s PEGS Boston. Moderated by Peter Tessier, Albert M. Mattocks professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, the panelists include Sarel Fleishman, professor of Biomolecular Sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science; Kadina Johnston, senior specialist of Discovery Biologics at Merck & Co.; Vincent Ling, chief business officer of Morphocell Technologies; Arvind Rajpal, SVP of Xaira; and Max Vasquez, chief computing officer of Adimab. Together they discuss benchmarking AI/ML methods compared to traditional approaches, development of human-relevant training data, identifying and addressing core challenges in de novo designs, and more. Links from this episode: PEGS Boston Conference & Expo Engineering Bispecific Antibodies University of Michigan University of Michigan Chemical Engineering Weizmann Institute of Science Scala Biodesign Merck & Co., Inc. Morphocell Technologies Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Xaira Adimab LLC

In this episode of The Chain, host Tariq Ghayur, PhD, Tariq Ghayur Consulting, LLC, talks with Pamela Barney, former associate director of HR, AbbVie, about her career within biotech/pharma organizations and some key lessons learned, such as taking advantage of your contacts and network, managing diverse workforces, and HR’s role in creating an engaged team. Barney also discusses why she entered the HR field and the challenges of culture changes when transitioning from a small organization to a large company. AbbVie: https://www.abbvie.com/

In this episode of The Chain, host Brandon DeKosky, associate professor, speaks with MIT colleague Jessica Stark, Underwood-Prescott career development professor, about glycans and why they are important in cancer research. Stark discusses how she became interested in immunology, what her PhD and post-doctoral training was like, her thoughts on singlets operating as part of a network of checkpoint molecules, and what’s currently going on in glycobiology. She also talks about her keynote presentation at PEGS 2025 and what her new lab is working on. LINKS: MIT Department of Chemical Engineering MIT Department of Biological Engineering MIT

March 11, 2025 | In this episode of The Chain, host Andrew Buchanan, principal scientist at AstraZeneca, and Andreas Plückthun, professor and head of biochemistry at the University of Zurich, discuss AI/ML technologies in the antibody and protein engineering space. Plückthun shares his perspectives on what technologies show promise and success, why the definition of epitope is important when developing a drug, and what aspects he expects to improve in the ML field in the future.