Raphael Wolfisberg Email and Phone Number

Activities:- Innovate and Develop: Create new scientific analytical concepts and cutting-edge technologies. - Experimental Research: Plan, design, and execute complex experiments to advance scientific understanding.- Data Analysis: Visualize, interpret, and evaluate experimental data to derive meaningful insights.- Method Validation: Ensure method validation for implementation in a GxP environment. - Quality Support: Assist in quality investigations and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. - Result Reporting: Oversee the release of routine test results, ensuring accuracy and reliability. - Training and Development: Train laboratory personnel on new or updated methods, fostering continuous learning and improvement. - Project Collaboration: Represent the Assay and Process Development Department in project teams, contributing expertise and guidance.

Research activities:- Implementation of an in vitro assay for preclinical high-throughput screening of hepatits B virus (HBV) resistance mutations.Administrative tasks:- Negotiating license agreements with external partners to secure access to critical intellectual property and biological materials.- Designing HBV infectious clones and virus libraries with contract research organizations (CROs).- Coordination of external activities with various internal departments, including Roche’s Procurement Department, External Alliances, the Clinical Division, and the Genetics and Genomics Department. Benefits for Roche:- This innovative methodology mitigates risks in clinical trials and aids in meeting regulatory requirements for assessing the barrier to resistance of antivirals in Roche’s portfolio.Supervisors:- Maria Teresa Catanese (Clinical Virology Lead)- Timothy Tellinghuisen (Head of Virology)

Activities: - Research conceptualization between interdisciplinary peers and international institutions- Data analysis, validation, and visualization- Design of coherent experimental strategies- Communication of scientific findings at internal and external conferences and meetings- Fundraising- Manuscript writing, review and revision- Communication with journal editorial officesProject management: - Project planning, task prioritization, risk anticipation, and reporting to supervisors, collaborators, and peers Supervision: - 3 PhD students- 1 MSc student- 2 laboratory techniciansTeaching: - Laboratory course in virology for medicine- PhD/MSc students and lab techs: Guidance, instruction, support, troubleshooting and data validation- Hands-on training and teaching scientists, students, and technicians in virology, molecular biology and project managementFindings:- Establishment of mouse models of acute and chronic rat hepacivirus (RHV) infection for the development and testing of hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccines.- Development of an infectious cell culture system for RHV that will be highly useful for the production of infectious particles and in vitro RHV neutralization assays for critical evaluation of vaccine platforms.- Characterization of equine immune responses mediating clearance of equine hepacivirus (EqHV), the closest relative of HCV. EqHV infection in horses could provide a useful model to understand drivers of hepacivirus clearance and, consequently, for development of HCV vaccines.- Characterization of equine pegivirus tropism, genetic diversity, persistence and association with liver disease in horses. Development of the first robust reverse genetics system for a pegivirus.Supervisors:- Associate Professor Troels Kasper Høyer Scheel, PhD- Professor Jens Bukh, M.D.

Activities:- Development of fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) based approaches for simultaneous separation and quantification of intracellular virus populations at distinct maturation stages.- Development of powerful FPLC-based chromatofocusing methods for the separation of small non-enveloped viruses based on surface charge differences. - Supporting purification processes and virus elimination procedures in the pharmaceutical industry by studying particle surface electrostatics and their critical impact on the interaction of a virus with the chromatographic resin.- Presentation of laboratory methodologies and scientific findings at internal and external meetings and conferences. - Supervision of a master student Findings:- First detailed characterization of late nuclear maturation and active egress of the non-enveloped model parvovirus Minute Virus of Mice (MVM). - My work describing the active egress of MVM challenges a well-established dogma in virology, generally considering the release of non-enveloped viruses a passive process during host cell lysis at the end of the lytic viral life cycle.Mention:The article summarizing my PhD project has been selected by the editors of the Journal of Virology for inclusion in “Spotlight”, a feature that highlights research articles of significant interest.Supervisors:- PD Carlos Ros, DVM, PhD- Professor Christoph Kempf, PhD

Acquisition of classical virology techniques:- Virus culture- Virus titration / Plaque assay / TCID50 assay- Hemagglutination inhibition assaySupervisor:Professor José María Almendral del Río, PhD

Packaging, logistics, and dispatch- Preparing customer orders- Safe packaging and transport* Electric forklift license

Production line worker (shift work)- Filling- Packaging- Dispatch and logistics