Robert Tikkanen Email & Phone Number

United States

Durham, North Carolina, United States

United States

• Downstream process development representative lead for the CMC team for AskBio’s Congestive Heart Failure program (AB-1002)
• Coordinated a team of senior scientists to develop and optimize a robust, scalable, and transferable downstream purification process to tech transfer to our CDMO for the generation of clinical trial material for the.
• Collaborated with Bayer colleagues to generate a statistical AEX binding isotherm model to investigate the mechanism of our patented platform empty/full capsid separation process
• Generated and executed multiple DOE experiments in JMP17 to investigate the ideal conditions and broader design space for anion exchange chromatography unit operation development
• Drafted and contributed to technical transfer documents, process development reports, manufacturing risk assessments and gap analyses to facilitate successful technology transfer of our commercial manufacturing.
• Acted as a liaison between the AskBio process development and analytic development teams to optimize in-process analytics for process characterization and process understanding experimental studies

Morrisville, North Carolina, United States

• Compiled presentations for the presentation of study designs and disseminating experimental findings for internal, company-wide, and external audiences.
• Worked with external vendors to demo and onboard new manufacturing technologies including various chromatographic purification modalities, filters, and various in-process analytical devices.
• Onboarded multiple outsourced analytical assays and data analysis pipelines with third party collaborators, including charge detection mass spectrometry, multiplex digital droplet PCR, and next generation sequencing.
• Developed and optimized multiple unit operations for the purification of AAV8 and AAV2i8 vectors including harvest/clarification, affinity chromatography, anion exchange chromatography, and ultrafiltration and.
• Assisted in scale up manufacturing activities across all unit operations from the bench scale to the pilot scale (2L to 250L)
• Organized and held monthly multidepartment journal-club style academic literature meetings to familiarize colleagues with on-going developments in the field and to hone presentation skills and effective scientific.

Morrisville, North Carolina, United States

Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

• Designed primers utilizing sequence alignment software for the manipulation, isolation, amplification and cloning of target protein genes of interest in various E. coli based recombinant protein expression vectors.
• Performed a variety of protein purification techniques including affinity chromatography, ÄKTA FPLC, Agilent HPLC, Acquity UPLC, and dialysis to isolate proteins of interest.
• Performed Agarose/SDS PAGE gel electrophoresis analyses and bioanalytical purification yield analyses for protein production method optimization.
• Developed multiple LC/MSN methods for analysis of polyketide biosynthetic intermediates in enzymology studies on Thermo Fisher Scientific LTQ Orbitrap XL and QExactive Plus, and Waters Synapt G2 HDMS (q-TOF with ion.
• Thesis: Functional Characterization of the dfn Polyketide Synthase Gene Cluster in B. velezensis ATCC 39374

Burlington, North Carolina, United States

• Collaborated with QC department in the development of a new training program and amendments to the internal SOP
• Collaborated with IT department and management to construct and implement an integrated productivity database to monitor technician performance and meet daily/monthly productivity goals
• Compiled a database of serial numbers and warranty information of all laboratory equipment and computers.
• Performed QC (IQ, OQ, PQ) Validations on Tecan Freedom EVO liquid handlers and extractors
• Performed QC (IQ, OQ, PQ) Validations on illumina Infinium Microarray beadchips and iScan readers
• Worked with Senior Project Specialist as a liaison between field service representatives to schedule work orders and preventative maintenance as well as ordering reagents and other lab consumables

Burlington, North Carolina, United States

• Prepared, extracted, quantified, normalized, amplified, hybridized, and further analyzed genomic DNA from saliva samples
• Processed genomic DNA samples via the illumina’s Infinium Assay Workflow
• Performed SNP data analyses via illumina’s Genome Studio software.
• Used LIMS software for tracking and analyzing sample processing
• Performed Daily/Weekly Maintenance on Tecan Freedom EVO liquid handlers, centrifuges, refrigeration units
• Prepared internal laboratory quantitation standards

Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

Dr. Jason J. Reddick's Biochemistry Research Group-Purified and isolated proteins from B. subtilis -Utilized affinity chromatography for protein purification-Performed SDS PAGE and Agarose Electrophoresis Analysis

Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

• Dr. Amy Adamson's Molecular Virology Research Group
• Studied the inhibitory effects of naringenin on the production of the protein eIF4E in the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in Epstein Barr positive Raji B-cells.
• Performed Western Blots and other immunostaining techniques to quantify protein expression and inhibition.

Master Of Science - Ms, Chemistry, 3.89

Activities and Societies: American Associate for the Advancement of Science Member, American Institute of Chemists Student Affliliate.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Biochemistry, 3.24

Activities and Societies: Lean/Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certified, Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt Trained, SAS Programming 1 Trained

Bachelor'S Degree, Polymer And Color Chemistry

Activities and Societies: Intramural Soccer