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Immunopeptidomics is the identification by affinity purification followed by MS analysis of immune peptides, short peptide fragments presented by MHC complexes on the surface of the cells. If these peptides are recognized as aberrant by the T cells, they can evoke an adaptive immune response. During this talk we will highlight some key applications of this cutting-edge technology (immunotherapy development, immunogenicity risk assessment of biotherapeutics, etc).

 

 

In a fast-evolving eco system, both technical and legislative, and a tight labor market continuous training is not only a reality but also an absolute must. To address the topic of lifelong learning essenscia has developed a unique two-track policy that allows us to quickly adapt to newly emerging needs with the sectoral training facilities as well as create sustainable knowledge-transfer with schools, colleges and universities. Both tracks are symbiotic and provide a solid support for the production companies of the sector to implement new innovations knowing the talent they need, will be correctly trained.

 

 

Cell therapy (so-called “living drugs”) has revolutionized cancer treatment and shows great promise beyond cancer as well. It involves modifying a patient's own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. Advancements in this field have led to the development of CAR-T cell therapy and other immunotherapies, offering new hope for patients. Ongoing research and innovation hold the potential to further enhance the efficacy and widen the application of immune cell therapy in various diseases, paving the way for a brighter future in personalized medicine.

 

 

Single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) or crystallography is by far the most accurate way for uncovering the 3D structures of molecules down to the atomic level. This powerful technique allows us to explore the intricate structures of various compounds, including flexible and photodynamic molecular crystals. These crystals, made up of individual molecular units held together by weak intermolecular forces, have remarkable properties. For example, some can absorb light and convert it into mechanical motion, making them exciting candidates for advanced, smart materials like actuators and photonic devices.
Here, we showcase intriguing examples of photomechanical molecular single crystals that respond dramatically to UV light. These crystals exhibit controllable behavior, such as bending-shape recovery, and even violent splitting or jumping - phenomena known as "photosalient effects." These reactions are driven by precise single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) [2+2] cycloaddition reactions.
What’s even more exciting is that we have discovered new molecular combinations that exhibit these effects not only under UV light but also in visible sunlight. These reactions allow the rapid photosynthesis of unique polymers directly within the crystal structure, offering a sustainable pathway for material synthesis.
Our findings highlight the untapped potential of these light-responsive materials for future technologies, offering a glimpse into how molecular crystals could power innovative applications in smart materials, energy transformation, and beyond.

 

 

Searching for sustainable polymers requires access to biomass-based monomers. In that sense, glucose-derived cis,cis-muconic acid (ccMA) stands as a high-potential intermediate. However, to unlock its potential, an isomerization to the value-added ttMA (trans,trans-isomer) is required. Here, we develop atomically dispersed low-loaded Ru on Beta zeolite catalysts that allow the valorization of MA into its tt-isomer in a Ru-hydride fashion. Beyond isomerization, the supported Ru-hydride on zeolite catalysts could be of use for other hydride-chemistries, demonstrated by a successful hydride-transfer hydrogenation.

 

 

G-Quadruplexes (G4) DNA secondary structures play critical roles in gene expression and telomere maintenance. While extensively studied and targeted by numerous tools, some challenges for researcher still remain: their targeting (exploiting them as therapeutic targets), is difficult to be achieved with specificity with small molecule binder, posing problems related to off-target interaction. On the other hand, their intrinsic topology polymorphism—affected by factors like salt concentration, sequence, and binders—presents challenges for therapeutic applications of G4s as aptamers or decoys. To address this, our lab developed chemical-biological tools for precise, covalent targeting of G4 structures in cells using ligand-PNA constructs equipped with photo-reactive furan warheads. By translating this chemistry from external probes to the nucleic acids structures as such, our approach enables the locking of specific G4 topologies, ensuring structural stability crucial for aptamer and decoy therapies, which depend on precise protein recognition. These "locked" G4 structures exhibit enhanced thermodynamic stability, nuclease resistance, and maintained biological activity in an ex vivo model. These results highlight the potential of chemically engineered G4 structures in future therapeutic applications.

 

 

	Miranda Coppens (POM Antwerpen)
	Elise Pepermans (ImmuneSpec) Elise Pepermans obtained her PhD in Biochemistry in the Pasteur Institut in Paris. During her post-doc in the Center for Proteomics (University of Antwerp/Flemish Institut for Technological Research) she developed an optimized sample preparation workflow for advanced immunopeptidomics. Since March 2023, she is one of the co-founders of ImmuneSpec, an advanced immunopeptidomics biotech company that offers high-sensitive immunopeptidomics as a service, thereby making this technique available to all biotech companies and researchers.
	Kris Bosch (essenscia) Kris Bosch is advisor education and labour market at essenscia, the Belgian sector federation of the chemical and life sciences industry. The organisation represents the specific interests of companies active in chemicals, plastics, pharma and biotech. Before joining essenscia, Kris held various HR and project management roles at sector company BASF, Brussels Airlines and Canadian NGO Right To Play. In his role at essenscia, Kris places a strong emphasis on the efforts that need to be made by education and industry to work more closely together, and on the regulatory framework that needs to be created to facilitate such a collaboration.
	Viggo Van Tendeloo (Johnson & Johnson)   Viggo Van Tendeloo is part of the Johnson & Johnson Innovation team as an Early Innovation Partnering Director for the Benelux region. Within this role he focuses on the sourcing, screening and evaluation of opportunities and potential matches between internal and external research needs of high strategic value to Johnson & Johnson. In his previous role Viggo headed the EMEA Janssen Immunosciences team within the J&J World Without Disease Accelerator (WWDA) and the Lung Cancer Initiative (LCI) to drive new immunology drug targets towards NME stage. Viggo received a PhD in cell & gene therapy in 2000 at the University of Antwerp and was a full professor Cellular Immunotherapy at the Laboratory of Experimental Hematology of the University of Antwerp (2007-2023). He is co-founder of the first FAGG approved Center for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine (CCRG) at the Antwerp University Hospital where he served as the scientific director until 2012 and later as Lab Director, Immunomonitoring & Translational Research. His team pioneered and successfully developed an autologous mRNA-engineered dendritic cell cancer vaccine for acute myeloid leukemia patients. He has authored over 150 publications (h-index of 54), several books and book chapters.
	Kristof Van Hecke   Kristof Van Hecke is professor at Ghent University. His research group XStruct specializes in crystallization and structural analysis by X-ray diffraction. Among other methods, he uses these techniques in his research on the structure of new hybrid (nano)materials and flexible and photodynamic crystals as luminescent systems for optoelectronics and the conversion of light energy into mechanical motion. The applications of his research are endless, ranging from drug delivery to smart materials.
	Ibrahim Khalil   Dr. Ibrahim Khalil (Ramieh, Lebanon) obtained his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry at the Lebanese University (2013) and his Master’s in Environmental Chemistry at the University of Poitiers (2015). In 2018, he obtained his Ph.D. in analytical and physical chemistry from Laboratory Catalysis and Spectrochemistry, developing a purification process for second-generation biofuels. Since 2019, he has joined the Dusselier lab at KU Leuven as a postdoctoral researcher, developing metal on zeolite catalysts for isomerization and hydrogenation reaction and FT-IR spectroscopy methods for solid catalyst characterization.
	Enrico Cadoni   Enrico Cadoni graduated in Pharmaceutical Sciences from “La Sapienza” University of Rome in 2017. He later moved to Ghent University, where he obtained his PhD in Chemistry in December 2021. His scientific interests span from physical organic chemistry and photochemistry to chemical biology, with a primary focus on the study of genomic secondary non-canonical DNA structures, such as G-Quadruplexes (G4s). During his PhD and postdoctoral research conducted at Ghent University, he pioneered the concept of sequence-specific targeting of G4-structures, developing (photo)-chemical tools to precisely target and manipulate these biologically significant structures with molecular precision.

 

 

 

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