Episode: 75 - Are Licensing Fees Required or Gatekeeping?
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 ProteinsÂ
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Episode: 74 - Keith Flaherty, President-Elect of AACR, on Public and Private Collabs, AI Optimism, and More
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 AACRÂ
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Episode: 73 - PANEL DISCUSSION: Near-Term Challenges for AI/ML in Biotherapeutic R&D
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 LLCÂ
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Episode: 72 - Pamela Barney on HR Lessons to Meet the Needs of Biotech
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/  Â
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PEGS Young Scientist Keynote Jessica Stark on the Role of Glycans in Cancer Research
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 MITÂ
The Chain explores the lives, careers, research, and discoveries of protein engineers and scientists, the impact their work is having on the field, and where the industry is headed. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the newest advancements and to hear the stories that are impacting the world of biologics.
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