Samuel Perez

Senior development associate at a biotechnology start-upwith research interests in the bioprocessing of cell and gene therapies. My current role focuses on the development of novel bioprocesses to produce engineered exosome and adeno-associated virus products. Previous education up to master’s level in molecular medicine.

Molecular biology

• Cloning and transformation in E. Coli.
• Plasmid amplification and purification (mini and maxi prep).
• Primer design using SnapGene.
• Site directed mutagenesis using restriction enzyme digestion and gibson assembly.
• Plasmid construction via molecular cloning, e.g. addition and removal of His-tag

Analytical techniques

• dPCR for quantifying genomic titre and in-process impurities (host cell DNA and residual production plasmid), PCR.
• Sandwich ELISA immunoassay to measureproduct purity and protein concentration, automated ELISA (ELLA), MSD.
• Endotoxin quantification using both the Endosafe Nexgen-mcs and PTS.
• Western blot and automated western blot (Jess).

Downstream processing

• Routinely use AKTA FPLC systems to carry out a rangeof chromatography techniques including AIEX, CIEX, SEC, affinity, and mixed mode.
• Experienced in performing tangential-flow filtration with the use of both hollowfibers and flat sheets and process development of TFF operations with scale-down models using Ambr crossflow.
• Experience in purifying up to 50L of harvest material.
• Nuclease treatment with different endonucleases.
• Cell harvest by centrifugation and depth filtration.

Upstream processing

• Expansion of mammalian HEK293T, CAP, and VPC2 cell cultureand transient transfection for expression of extracellular vesicle associated AAV products.
• Preparation of cell culturemedia, passaging of cells, and harvest of both suspension and adherent cells.
• Transfections of cells with up to 3 plasmids using PEI, Fectopro, and Fectovir.

Data analysis

• Processing of and conclusions drawn from data using Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism

BSc biomedical sciences | 2019 | university of sheffield

• Final year project: Why is Duchenne muscular dystrophy so hard to treat?

MSc Molecular medicine | 2020 | University of Reading

• Dissertation title: Identify whether chronic amyloid pathology has an effect on CA1 pyramidal neuron’s glutamatergic transmission.
• Dissertation experience: data analysis of patch clamp experiments