TechTalk: Advancing cell-free protein engineering workflows by translating enzyme variants into function
Monday, February 2 at 15:00 GMT | 16:00 CET | 10:00 EST | 7:00 PST
Traditional protein engineering is often constrained by iterative cycles, fragmented workflows, and limited reproducibility.
In this 20-min TechTalk, Ribbon Bio will showcase a validated, fully cell-free design-build-test-learn (DBTL) workflow enabling one-shot optimization of a DNA-modifying enzyme. Based on a collaborative case study with Scala Biodesign and Nuclera, the session illustrates how computational design, high-accuracy synthetic DNA, and rapid cell-free expression can be tightly integrated to deliver enzyme variants with superior biochemical performance.
Attendees will learn how linking expression metrics with functional readouts supports data-driven decisions, reduces development risk, and accelerates enzyme engineering for biocatalysis and synthetic biology.
Key learning objectives
- Understand how a fully cell-free, integrated design–build–test–learn (DBTL) workflow enables one-shot protein engineering without iterative optimization cycles.
- Learn how to translate computationally designed enzyme variants into reproducible expression and functional performance at application-relevant scale.
- Gain insight into linking expression metrics with biochemical and functional readouts to objectively assess and de-risk protein engineering campaigns.
- Evaluate how cross-platform integration (design, DNA synthesis, and expression) accelerates enzyme optimization for biocatalysis and synthetic biology applications.
Who should attend?
- Scientists and engineers working in enzyme engineering, synthetic biology, and biocatalysis
- R&D leaders working in pharma, biotech, and industrial biotech exploring rapid protein optimization
- Researchers working on DNA-binding proteins, transcription factors, or enzyme characterization
- Business development and innovation managers seeking strategic technology collaborations in the design–make–test space
Certificate of attendance
If you attend the live TechTalk, you will automatically receive a certificate of attendance, including a learning outcomes summary, for continuing education purposes.
If you view the on-demand TechTalk, you can request a certificate of attendance by emailing editor@selectscience.net.
Speakers
Gerald Wirnsberger studied Genetics and Biotechnology at the University of Salzburg and holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Vienna. After postdoctoral studies in the field of immunology and immunogenetics, he joined Apeiron Biologics and led teams in drug discovery projects in diverse disease indications. With 15+ years of academic and industry R&D experience and a proven track record in the field of molecular biology, he joined Ribbon Bio in 2022 to lead its R&D team.
Ashok Kumar Bhagat holds a Ph.D. in Life Sciences from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and has a strong background in protein engineering, including recombinant protein design, production, and characterization. With over seven years of academic and industry experience, he joined Ribbon Bio GmbH in 2022, where he leads protein engineering and production, driving technical strategy and the scalable development of novel protein products.