Email: portico-services@ucl.ac.uk
Help Desk: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/portico/helpdesk
- Research Fellow
- Dept of Biochemical Engineering
- Faculty of Engineering Science
Dr Jasmin Samaras is a research fellow in vaccine bioprocessing in
biochemical engineering at University College London. Dr Samaras’ research
focuses on the study of the influence of the engineering environment on
different types of biological organisms in both upstream and downstream
bioprocessing operations, with the aim to address key challenges in the
scale-up and optimisation of biopharmaceutical processes.
Jasmin got her PhD investigating
the influence of the hydrodynamic environment on a stem cell iPSC
differentiation process to cardiomyocytes. Through the combination of advanced
laser-based techniques and flow visualisation methods to characterise the flow
environment for different agitation modes, coupled with biological studies, Dr
Samaras was able to improve the product yields of a cardiogenic differentiation
process.
Current research focuses upon the
development of a glycoconjugate vaccine candidate for large scale production
through the application of engineering characterisation studies for improved
scaling and process performance.
Jasmin's work is part of The Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (Vax-Hub), led by UCL Biochemical Engineering (Prof. Martina Micheletti) and The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford (Prof. Sarah Gilbert) with a number of academic and industrial partners. The Hub’s vision is to make the UK the global centre for integrated discovery through to bioprocess manufacture of next generation vaccines.
Her current project aims to develop and validate scale-down approaches for conjugate vaccine production for early acquisition of process development data, as well as scaling correlations for targeted process steps. The position concerns engineering characterisation studies, miniaturisation and automation studies, in addition to development of scale-down tools and methodologies.
The main focus of the project is in close collaboration with researchers at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the optimisation of glycoconjugate vaccine production using their Protein Glycan Coupling Technology (PGCT). Dr Samaras' role initially was to develop a whole process automated screening platform for the optimisation studies at the microscale, in addition to establishing scaling correlations for the eventual scale up of the glycoconjugate vaccine production platform.
Previous work encompassed the experimental investigation of the flow, mixing and suspension dynamics within a commercial stirred tank bioreactor, utilising a range of agitation modes, to improve understanding of the impact of continuous and intermittent agitation upon an induced pluripotent stem cell to cardiomyocyte (iPSC-CM) cell culture process. The goal of this work was to investigate optimisation of stem cell differentiation yields through understanding of the cell culture envinronment from an engineering perspective.
Dr Samaras' teaching activities include the preparation, design and leading of lab practicals, training and support on both masters and doctoral research projects, in addition to the setting and marking of lab reports.