Surpassing more than 300 participants, chemical engineering PhD student Hector Sanchez-Moran听took home听first prize at the PEGS Essential Protein and Antibody Engineering Summit poster presentation competition. The summit took place from May 15-19听in Boston.听
Sanchez-Moran's said his poster explored听significant听advancements in the field of enzyme immobilization and its applications.
"This award signifies recognition for my years of research听in the Kaar and Schwartz labs," said Sanchez-Moran, who is co-advised by Professor Daniel Schwartz听and Associate Professor Joel Kaar.听"The听award, along with the enthusiastic responses听from individuals听I engaged with regarding my poster, demonstrates听the value the biotechnology听community places on our work, highlighting听the significant听implications of efficient听enzyme immobilization."
The summit bills itself as听"the leading biologics event," with comprehensive programming covering biologic drug development, including听in-depth presentations on protein and antibody engineering, immunotherapy, oncology, expression, analytics and immunogenicity.
Enzyme immobilization has been extensively employed by protein engineers for a variety of applications, including bioremediation, biosensors and听industrial听biocatalysts. However, the precise understanding of how enzyme immobilization and its applications听interact is not yet well understood, Sanchez-Moran听said. His听poster shed light on听the complex nanoscale stabilizing interactions that lead to听the remarkable stabilization of important enzymes used in detergent production, pharmaceutical manufacturing and the food industry. While these enzymes are barely听stable above body temperature, Sanchez-Moran's听immobilization technique demonstrated the ability to maintain听their functionality听up to boiling temperatures, thereby enhancing their utility in听industrial settings.
Sanchez-Moran said it was his first experience attending a conference with significant industry participation.
"It was interesting to present my poster alongside representatives from leading biotech companies听and engage in听conversations听about their own technologies," he said.听"It's听fascinating to observe the delicate balance these companies maintain, walking the fine line between disseminating their findings while听protecting听crucial information regarding their intellectual property."