The TDIG Webinar is held from 12-1 pm on the third Friday of every month. View past webinar information.
This Month's Webinar
Dr. Joshua N. Leonard, Ph.D.
Title: Bioengineering EVs with genetically programmable functions
Date and Time: January 17, 2025, Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 1 p.m., ET
Presenter: Joshua N. Leonard, Ph.D.
Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University
Summary
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) comprise a broad class of cell derived nanoparticles that play important roles in natural processes and may be harnessed as therapeutic delivery vehicles. Realizing this potential requires technologies for modifying EV composition and function in a manner that meets therapeutic needs. In this talk, Dr. Leonard will present work his lab has led to characterize and ultimately modulate EV-mediated delivery of biomolecules, with a focus on developing technologies for genetically encoding novel and useful EV features. He will also place this work in the context of the boarder field of mammalian synthetic biology, in which his team works to advance the vision of design-driven engineering of advanced medicines including programmable gene and cell therapies.
About Dr. Joshua N. Leonard
Dr. Leonard trained in chemical engineering, receiving a B.S. from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley where he worked with gene therapy pioneer David Schaffer and earned a certificate in the management of technology from the Haas School of Business. Dr. Leonard then trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the Experimental Immunology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, where he elucidated features of the innate immune system that drive antiviral immunity and inform vaccine design. He then joined the faculty of Northwestern University in Chemical and Biological Engineering. Dr. Leonard’s group engineers novel biological systems that perform customized, sophisticated functions for applications in biotechnology and medicine, helping to build the now vibrant field of mammalian synthetic biology. Employing methods ranging from biomolecular engineering to computation-driven design, his team develops technologies including (1) programmable cell-based devices for treating chronic disease, including synthetic receptors and genetic programs, and (2) novel gene therapy platforms based upon bioengineered nanoscale vesicles. Dr. Leonard is actively engaged in the development of national science policy, testifying as an expert witness before the U.S. House of Representatives on “21st Century Biology” and through his roles as a council and board member of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium. He fosters training, entrepreneurship, and industrial impact as director of Northwestern’s NIH-funded Biotechnology Training Program (T32) and entrepreneurial activity as a founder and chief scientific officer of Syenex—a startup focused on making transformative gene delivery technologies universally accessible. Dr. Leonard is a founding member of Northwestern’s Center for Synthetic Biology, which has grown to a leading team within the SynBio community.