Amanda Grace Vaz

A research scientist holding a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and M.Sc. in Medical Biotechnology with 11 years experience working in both academia and biotech enterprise in the field of biotechnology.

• Genetic engineering of microorganisms.
• Characterization of proteins in pathogens that could serve as novel therapeutic targets
• Isolating and characterizing enzymes from microorganisms
• Upstream and downstream processing of proteins
• Developing in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests against infectious diseases
• Can carry out research both independently as well as in a team.
• Experienced with good documentation practices (writing and editing of technical reports, standard operating procedures, risk declarations, and presentations)and working within a multicultural GMP/GLP work environment in both academia and biotech enterprise

Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences - Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Hungary.

Project/Thesis: Characterization of novel hydrophobic surface binding proteins in Mucor circinelloides.

• Identified and characterized the genes of the novel hydrophobic surface binding protein A (HsbA) of M. circinelloides and examine their role in the pathogenicity of Mucorales fungi.
• Overexpressed and disrupted the identified hsbA gene in M. circinelloides, and morphologically and physiologically characterized the obtained mutants.
• Expressed HsbA proteins of M. circinelloides heterologously in Pichia pastoris (strain: KM71H). Upstream and Downstream processing of extracellular proteins (centrifugation, TCA precipitation and purified HsbA using AKTA -size exclusion and anion exchange chromatography).
• Developed and optimized experimental workflow. Applied hazard and risk assessment techniques for all materials being used.
• Supervision of bachelor’s and master’s students for their respective projects. Taught practical courses in microbiology for bachelor’s students. Made records and updated technical reports, protocols, and presentations.

  Experience working in a GLP environment.