Patient-Centric, Modality-Independent, Data-Driven Biotherapeutic and Vaccine Development

Biotherapeutics, including protein and nucleic acid-based therapeutics, cell and gene therapies, and vaccines, play an important role in maintaining and improving global public health which is particularly critical in the face of public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also being developed to treat a wide variety of serious medical conditions including infectious diseases, cancer, auto-immune, cardio-vascular, gastro-intestinal and neurological disorders. The development of biotherapeutics and vaccines, from candidate engineering and selection, through expression, purification, formulation, analytical characterization and finally delivery to patients, is a highly inter-disciplinary scientific field.

The second Gordon Research Conference on Biotherapeutics and Vaccines Development in 2021 will bring together scientists from academia, industry, government, and non-profit organizations for in depth exploration of the latest cutting-edge advances in this rapidly moving, exciting field. This GRC aims to assemble researchers from a variety of fields to discuss and debate in an open forum the fundamental scientific issues underlying the development and manufacturing of biotherapeutics and vaccines. The program will reflect the broad cross-disciplinary scientific and engineering issues involved in the development of biotherapeutics and vaccines. Tentative sessions include: a keynote session featuring talks on emerging concepts and trends by thought leaders in the field; drug engineering and candidate selection; applications of artificial intelligence/machine learning in development and manufacturing; cell culture and expression; novel modalities including cell and gene therapies; identification and control of critical quality attributes; downstream purification and flexible manufacturing; and formulation and drug product screening.

To encourage participation by junior scientists at the graduate and postdoctoral level, a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will be held immediately prior to the GRC. The GRS will be an exciting opportunity for junior scientists to present posters on their latest research and engage with colleagues in a supportive, interactive environment.