Nathan Swyers, Phd Email & Phone Number

Wentzville, Mo, Us

Wentzville, Mo, Us

Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Lu

St Louis, Missouri, Us

My research focused on the development of AAV gene therapies for the treatment of lysosomal disorders utilizing M6P’s novel phosphotransferase S1S3. I developed AAV cassettes, which were tested in vitro and in vivo, upon which iterative improvements would be made to increase the effectiveness of the gene therapy. I also developed mammalian expression vectors for the creation of CHO stable expression lines.• Designed and optimized custom bicistronic and dual promoter AAV vectors• Designed experiments for testing created vectors in a way that would generate the necessary data to make informed decisions on how to improve our vectors.• Worked with teams internally for the transfection and testing of designed vectors.• Analyzed data from tested vectors to make iterative improvements in our AAV gene therapy designs, including Western blots, enzyme activity assays, and receptor binding assays.• Designed Mammalian expression vectors for CHO stable cell line creation as well as for transient expression.• Improved cloning efficiency and turnaround by collaboratively introducing SnapGene, full plasmid sequencing, and gene fragment orders through Twist Biosciences.• Assisted in IT work as well as ELN development for the company.

St. Louis, Mo, Us

Project: SENTINEL: SENsing Threats In Natural Environments using Ligand-receptor modules● Met tight deadlines as a part of the DARPA project process● Tested sensor-report constructs and plants using protoplast transformation and fluorescent imaging in Setaria viridis. ● Tested sensor plants using qPCR to analyze sensor output.● Tested new sensor elimination constructs using site-specific recombinases and Cas9.

Columbia, Mo, Us

Working to further develop and improve our amenable system for site-specific insertion of genetic cargo into landing pad sites.● Developed and tested and transformed into maize, new phiC31 Integrase expression cassette● Created fluorescent probe to locate transgene● Localized the new expression cassette using Fluorescent in-situ Hybridization● Tested new expression cassette using a genetic switch● Experimental design of approach to improve the efficiency of site-specific integration● PCR assay development to track several transgenic lines

Columbia, Mo, Us

Project: Worked to improve plant genetic engineering by creating methods for sequential modification of minichromosomes.● Demonstrated site-specific addition of a donor DNA construct to a landing pad transgene located in the maize genome. ● Used fluorescent microscopy to show evidence of site-specific insertion of donor DNA into landing pad transgenes.● Used Sanger sequencing to confirm site-specific addition.● Developed PCR assays for tracking transgenes in multiple transgenic lines.● Developed transgenic lines for demonstration of site-specific targeting using phiC31 Integrase.● Created multiple donor DNA constructs for delivery of cargo to landing pad constructs integrated into the maize genome.● Transformation of constructs into dissected maize embryos using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.● Transformation of constructs into dissected maize embryos and embryogenic callus using Biolistic bombardment.● Developed expertise in growing transgenic maize plants in both field and greenhouse conditions.● Created fluorescent probes to localize individual transgene locations● Used Flourescent in-situ Hybridization to localize transgenes in maize plants.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Biology, General

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Biology/Biological Sciences, General