Hirsh Nanda from the Cell and Developability Sciences Department at Jannsen introduced innovative methods in native mass spectrometry aimed at supporting cell and development processes for large molecule therapeutics. This presentation highlights the department’s role in bridging discovery and development by creating manufacturing cell lines for lead candidates. Significant challenges are posed by multispecific proteins, which are complex due to their ability to bind multiple targets simultaneously, making them valuable for immune oncology but difficult in terms of purification and stability. Nanda discusses the development and implementation of the Byosphere platform for automating mass spectrometry workflows, emphasizing the transition to a cloud-based environment to enhance computational scalability and collaboration among scientists. This shift also facilitates integration with other databases, improving automation and annotation in the analysis of protein modalities.

Key Learnings:

1. Multispecific Proteins’ Complexity: These proteins, with their multiple binding domains, present significant challenges in purification and stability due to their complex nature, requiring innovative cell line development and screening techniques to ensure optimal production.
2. Advancements in Mass Spectrometry Workflows: The implementation of the Byosphere platform signifies a leap towards automating and streamlining mass spectrometry workflows, enabling more efficient data processing and analysis through a cloud-based environment.
3. Integration and Automation in Protein Analysis: The move towards integrating data analysis pipelines with cloud technology and other databases marks a significant advancement in protein analysis, allowing for more comprehensive and automated approaches to handle the complexity of multispecific proteins and other large molecule therapeutics.