Agenda

12:30-13:00

Arrive and Check-in 

 13:00 – 13:15 

Symposium Begins – Welcome

 13:15 – 13:45

Kirsty McHugh, PhD, Senior Scientist, University of Oxford
High-Throughput SPR screening of next-generation vaccine candidates for Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria

Abstract: Developing more effective malaria vaccines remains a global health priority. Rational design strategies have been applied to improve the stability and immunogenicity of RH5.1, a leading blood-stage malaria vaccine candidate that has demonstrated 55% efficacy against clinical malaria in a recent Phase IIb trial. A key challenge in antigen design is ensuring that engineered variants retain functionally important antibody-binding epitopes while improving properties such as expression and stability. Here, we present a high-throughput surface plasmon resonance (HT-SPR) screening platform using a large panel of human monoclonal antibodies and the Carterra LSA system to support the design and evaluation of next-generation RH5 antigens. By mapping antibody binding across epitope communities and integrating functional data, this approach enables quantitative assessment of epitope retention across antigen variants. Applied to a panel of RH5 designs, HT-SPR reveals how antigen modifications impact binding to key inhibitory and non-functional epitopes, and guides iterative optimisation to retain protective epitope regions. This platform allows direct experimental validation of antigen design, linking molecular changes to functional antibody responses. Overall, HT-SPR provides a scalable and generalisable approach to guide rational vaccine design and accelerate the development of improved malaria vaccine candidates.

13:45 – 14:15

Alice Webb, PhD, Senior Scientist, AstraZeneca
Accelerating Biologics and AI-augmented Biologics Discovery with High-Throughput SPR Profiling of Diverse Modalities

Abstract: High-throughput surface plasmon resonance (SPR) workflows that compress cycle times are critical to scaling and accelerating biologics discovery. Biologics modalities are also rapidly expanding, increasing the need for flexible platforms which can profile diverse molecules. As a result, the Carterra platform is a crucial part of biologics discovery at AstraZeneca. The talk will showcase examples spanning: complex biologics, optimised peptide workflows, and direct screening from supernatants. We also demonstrate how Carterra datasets have been used with AI models to guide lead optimisation. Collectively, these advances have delivered faster, data rich decisions for biologics discovery across a range of modalities.

 14:15 – 14:45

Judicaël Parisot, PhD, Field Applications Science Team Lead, Europe, Carterra
Rapid Efficient Workflows for Nearly all Sample Types from Antibodies to Fragments—Introducing the 48-Channel Carterra Vega™ SPR Platform

Abstract: Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has long been the gold standard for characterizing molecular interactions in drug discovery, but throughput limitations have historically constrained its use in early-stage screening campaigns where large numbers of compounds or biologics candidates require rapid triage. With high sensitivity, high throughput biosensors, Carterra’s biosensors enable SPR screening and characterization at a new scale. The Ultra is the newest in the line of one on many biosensors, building on the one-on-many array-based architecture of Carterra’s LSA platforms which has been broadly adopted in biologics discovery, now with the sensitivity and sample handling features to enable small molecule and fragment assays. Carterra Vega™, Carterra’s newest platform, moves from the one-on-many format to a new architecture with 48 needles and 48 parallel flow cells each with two ligands and a reference. Paired with an optional plate handling robot, Vega can process up to 20,000 analyte compounds in a day against two targets. A 384-well-plate of analytes can be injected in as little as 35 minutes. This enables new approaches like dose responses in primary fragment screens and kinetic characterization of thousands of compounds a day. This talk will highlight the range and scale of assays now possible on these platforms.

14:45 – 15:15

Break

15:15 – 15:45

 Ilse Roodink, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, AVS Bio
Data-rich discovery and optimization to expedite lead antibody generation

Abstract: The importance of diversity during the discovery phase of therapeutic antibody campaigns is widely recognized. However, to maximize success, such diversity should be accompanied by meaningful, data-rich outputs to guide hit triaging and lead candidate optimization approaches. The presented case study highlights an integrated multi-parametric platform leveraging high-throughput, industry-leading wet lab characterizations - including SPR-based profiling -, and highly scalable, in silico-driven developability assessment and optimization via AVS Bio’s AbRefine^TM to expedite lead antibody generation. The seamless integration of AVS Bio’s computational AbRefine^TM toolbox in the lead antibody process empowered diversity-driven antibody discovery and optimization, and advanced the delivery of optimized antibodies for further clinical development.

15:45 – 16:15 

 Katie Smith, Associate Scientist, GSK
Title and Abstract coming soon!

 16:15 – 16:45 

Title and Abstract coming soon! 

  16:45 – 17:00 

Symposium End and Networking

 17:00 – 17:30

Travel to Boat

17:30

Canal Dinner Boat Cruise