Took time off to recharge, travel and spend time with family back in my home country.Picked up Badminton again and learnt some new recipes!

Managed raw material campaigns for bacterial vaccine production across multiple time zones, ensuring timely release through effective vendor coordination. Led several campaigns early on and improved efficiency by developing project dashboards, saving significant time each week.

Engineered proteins through directed evolution by performing high throughput screening assays and optimized transfection protocols. Utilized project management tools and collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure project completion on-time.Project Management (50%) •Successfully coordinated activities to complete the first in house gene therapy program in less than 1.5 years, screening 2000 protein variants and administering the top 4 variants in mice. •Utilized Planisware to create project timelines using Gantt charts and track accurate project status using Kanban boards to ensure completion of project activities within the deadline. This ensured that we had a 90% on-time delivery rate.•Regularly synced with the molecular & cellular engineering team and the vector science team to communicate findings, influence, and ensure alignment with project team members, functional representatives, and other key stakeholders. •Drafted meeting agendas and facilitated meetings, gathering stakeholder feedback. Maintained ~10 consistent team documents and was accountable for tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).Scientific Research (50%) •Developed and optimized the transfection workflows for in-house program using the AWS/MC1000 machine, thus enabling fully automated transfection of libraries in the mammalian platform. This reduced the overall experimentation lead time by 50%. •Advanced 6 rounds of directed evolution for the first in house gene therapy program in less than 1.5 years, screening 1000s of variants using high throughput screening assays (HTPS) making it the fastest program to reach the lead selection round. •Performed uptake kinetic assays with the evolved enzyme using 4 patient fibroblast cell lines and narrowed it down to 1 cell-line by determining the intracellular stability and activity of the enzyme/protein. This reduced the experimentation time by 75%.

Enabled Amgen’s pipeline by developing cell lines that expressed molecules to target specific therapeutic targets. Managed projects, provided mentorship, and served as a liaison between Cell Line Development and external vendors/CROs.Project Management (30%) •Acted as a liaison between Cell Line Development leaders and external vendors/CROs to ensure timely submission of cell lines for testing and compliance with manufacturing site requirements at Amgen.•Mentored and onboarded 2 new Research Assistant hires by providing continuous performance feedback, and conducting knowledge transfer on project scope, milestones, and key deliverables. Learnt aspects of good team management.•Managed and tracked projects closely against the project plan throughout the entire product development lifecycle. Brought issues to the attention of Senior Management, where required and sent out status reports. Scientific Research (70%) •Validated high throughput screening methods to generate stable monoclonal cell lines expressing candidate molecules in Amgen's therapeutic pipeline, saving 2.5 months of research time per project by introducing precision and improving efficiency.•Selected the best clones for a biosimilar innovation project using single cell cloning on the Berkeley Lights Beacon platform and passaged them on the Biomek. Selected top clones based on growth and secretion titers.•Studied protein expression using transposase optimization to advance a new host platform system, then used that data to design further studies to implement a highly productive cell line.

Performed research for the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department (Akbari Lab).•Utilized a yeast-derived, fully human anti-CD25 antibody to study activation of type 2 innate lymphoid cells and their effector functions, improving understanding of its potential therapeutic effects on obesity-induced type 2 diabetes.•Evaluated CD25 expression on 3 lymphocyte populations and activation with GITRL-Fc/RA8 dimer using flow cytometry, measuring effector functions and proliferation with ELISA and intracellular staining.•Standardized the concentration of GITRL-Fc/RA8 dimer to specifically activate ILC2s and determined the optimum concentration of GITRL-RA8 to be used as a therapeutic strategy to prevent and improve obesity induced type 2 diabetes.

•Developed a vector library containing 8 vectors and standardized genetic tools such as promoter probe vectors, suitable broad-host range plasmid systems and possible promoters to improve the ease of heterologous expression in methanotrophs and observed similar expression profiling in the single and double promoter plasmids.•Designed a library of vectors with 4 single, 2 double and 2 triple promoter vectors with 3 reporter genes (LacZ, XylE, Ldh) and selection markers (Kan and Gent resistant genes) and analyzed their individual effects on expression levels of the methanotroph.• Tested reporter genes such as LacZ, XylE and Ldh to quantitate the strength of the promoter and determined that the promoters behave similarly in single and double promoter plasmids.• Performed hands on training in strain selection, Media optimization and Parameter Optimization.• Executed preservation techniques such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Glycerol Stocking of Bacterial cells.• Created a library of different combinations of ORIs and promoters in the methanotroph with different expression levels using FRT Flippase System.• Integrated the gene of interest into a methanotroph using FRT-FLP system via electroporation.• Studied growth of colonies on Kan plates and ascertained the success of electroporation.

Performed Media Preparation, Contamination Testing, Yeast Propagation, Beer Analysis and studied the working of effluent treatment plant (ETP)Performed Media Preparation, Contamination Testing, Yeast Propagation, Beer Analysis and studied the working of effluent treatment plant (ETP).