Lebhar Hélène
Research officer, Recombinant Product Facility
I am currently working in Australia at RPF (Recombinant Product Facility) in the University of New South Wales as a Research officer to carry out projects concerning production, purification, and development of recombinant proteins for clients.
I was previously working for Nautilus Biotech as a R&D scientist in the “protein production and purification” department. In this position, I was responsible for the set-up of production and purification processes of several recombinant proteins under GLPs. In order to complete in vitro and in vivo studies for preclinical phases concerning protein’s subcutaneous and oral administration, I have optimized some of these processes and scaled them up successfully from a laboratory scale to a GMP-compatible pilot scale.
I took the challenge to start all over again, as I resigned from my former position at Nautilus Biotech to go to Australia and find a job opportunity here.
105 contacts2005 - 2008Nautilus Biotech is a company, which develop next-generation therapeutic proteins. Its technology enhances the protein resistance against proteases, which provides them a higher stability in the blood, and can allow an oral administration.
Responsibilities:
-Set up and develop processes of production, refolding in prokaryotic production; and purification for several proteins respecting specifications established for each protein at each step of their evolution in the pipeline (modified growth hormone, interferon a, erythropoietin).
-Scale up and scale down of protein production and purification processes:
the processes have to be constantly adapted to increasing specifications and quantity required which vary from few micrograms of several mutants in screening phase to grams in preclinical phase for a toxicology study.
Achievements:
-Lead Nautilus next generation growth hormone Vitatropin® from the screening phase production to the preclinical phase production.
-Scale up of the entire process of Vitatropin® in a GMP compatible way to obtain 30 g of Vitatropin® with a purity of 98%
-Manage technical transfer of two production / purification processes (Belerofon®, Vitatropin®) to a South Korean company HanAll for a licensing: management / training of a 3 people Korean team on site during 1 month.
-Management of a laboratory technician
Reason for leaving: I resigned to come to Australia.
R&D Scientist / trainee in the protein production and purification department, ProSkelia (FRANCE, Paris)
2004 - 2005ProSkelia is now part of Galapagos. Website: http://www.glpg.com
ProSkelia was a company, offering innovative therapeutic options in the treatment of bone and joint diseases.
Internship as a research assistant at ProSkelia to complete pre-requisite units.
Responsibilities \ Achievements:
-Set up and develop process of purification for a Eukaryotic tagged protein (DKK1-HRP-6His).
-Analysis of the glycosylation of a protein (DKK1-V5-6His) by mass spectrometry (SELDI TOF).
-Studying the impact of glycosylation on the protein’s activity and binding on its receptor by cellular tests.
The results obtained are now part of the following publication :
Damien Fleury, Corinne Gillard, Helène Lebhar, Béatrice Vayssière, Robert Touitou, Georges Rawadi and Patrick Mollat. “Expression, purification and characterization of murine Dkk1 protein” Protein Expression and Purification. Jul 2008 ; 60(1):74-81
Reason for leaving: After completion of the internship, I had to go back to school for 4 months to take the last final for my master degree in June 2005.
Research assistant in the protein refolding purification department, ProteomTech (USA, San Francisco)
2003 - 2004ProteomTech website: http://www.proteomtech-inc.com
ProteomTech develop therapeutic proteins produced by E. coli in inclusion bodies. Using its patented protein refolding technology, ProteomTech has developed a pipeline of new protein drugs that are difficult to recover with other expression system.
Responsibilities \ Achievements:
-Set up and develop processes of refolding and purification of several proteins for internal project (VEGI, TIMP1, TIMP2…) and for costumers services (Interleukin 2, ALR…).
-Deliver a process and/or amount of protein for costumers, meeting scheduled deadlines.
Reason for leaving: I had to go back to France to complete a mandatory internship for my master degree.
