Agilent / APC Biopharma Technology Day
Accelerating BioPharma with Advanced Analytical Technologies
Join APC and Agilent Technologies for our Biopharma Technology Day
Join APC and Agilent Technologies at APC’s state‑of‑the‑art Cherrywood facility for a focused day for professionals working in biology and biopharmaceutical science. The event provides practical insight into analytical technologies, from high‑throughput screening to advanced chromatography, combining expert perspectives with real‑world applications to help accelerate workflows and deepen understanding. Whether your work involves cell research, peptide analysis, or protein aggregation, you’ll gain actionable insight and connect with peers through expert talks, interactive sessions, and open discussion.
Location:
- APC Ltd, Building 11, Cherrywood, Business Park, Loughlinstown, Co., Dublin, Ireland, D18 DH50
Agenda
9:30am–10:00am Registration | coffee
10:00am–10:15am Welcome & Introduction to the day
10:15am–11:00am The Role of Cell Analysis and Molecular Biology in BioPharma
- Herve Chaulet (Agilent Technologies)
Cell analysis and molecular biology techniques are essential tools in pharma and biopharma research, enabling detailed understanding of cellular function, protein expression, and therapeutic molecule production. The presentation highlights how these approaches support drug discovery, target validation, and safety and efficacy assessment.
11:00am–11:45am Application of Analytical Chemistry to High-throughput Biology
- Richard Blankley (Agilent Technologies)
A significant trend in biological research and life sciences is the imperative to analyse a larger volume of samples in a shorter timeframe. This demand extends to generating and screening libraries, clones, and other biological entities. As a biologist, staying current with the latest spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and chromatography methods can be difficult. This presentation will utilise real-world examples to demonstrate how these techniques, particularly LC/MS, can enable biologists to screen or test more samples and arrive at actionable insights. High-throughput screening, once a capability exclusive to large pharmaceutical companies, is now within reach for research teams of all sizes.
11:45am–12:15pm Ultra-high Throughput LCMS – RapidFire
- Industry speaker TBC...
Join us for a dynamic discussion around RapidFiretechnology and highthroughput mass spectrometry. Whether you’re optimizing drug leads, screening fragments, or advancing synthetic biology, this talk is your gateway to actionable insights and peer connections
12:15pm–1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm–1:45pm Characterization of mAb Associated Host Cell Proteins Using LC MS and Orthogonal Techniques
- Ben Doyle (APC)
Host cell proteins (HCPs) that persist through downstream processing of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) pose a significant product quality and patient safety risk. Notably, a subset of HCPs can associate with the mAb molecule and effectively “hitch hike” through multiple purification unit operations, rendering them difficult to remove by conventional downstream processes. In this study, liquid chromatography– mass spectrometry (LC MS) was used to identify and characterize residual HCPs remaining after purification of a recombinant mAb. LC MS–based proteomic analysis enabled sensitive detection of low abundance, mAb associated HCPs and provided molecular insight into their identities and properties that may promote co purification.
Immunoprecipitation techniques were employed as an orthogonal approach to selectively enrich and confirm HCPs associated with the mAb. Sodium dodecyl polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SD PAGE) served as a supporting technique to visualize protein profiles and assess HCP reduction across downstream processing steps. Collectively, these methods support a comprehensive strategy for understanding HCP persistence and purification challenges.
1:45pm–2:15pm GLP-1 Analytical Method Development Considerations
- Richard Blankley (Agilent Technologies)
Peptide therapeutics, encompassing a range of synthetic and recombinantly created peptides, including GLP-1 recombinant analogs, represent a rapidly advancing frontier in pharmaceutical development for a range of conditions. Due to their structural complexity, susceptibility to degradation, and the presence of multiple possible contaminants like residual solvents and synthesis by-products analysing peptides can be challenging. This talk discusses how advanced analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are essential for accurate analysis.
2:15pm–2:45pm Automation – Elevating Large Molecule Sample Preparation Precision Meets Flexibility
- Sufyan Pandor (Agilent Technologies)
The Agilent AssayMAP Bravo Platform enables high-throughput, automated sample preparation for large molecule analysis by leveraging micro-chromatography to deliver exceptional recovery, reproducibility, and scalability.
In this presentation, we will explore the underlying technical principles of the platform, providing a clear understanding of how micro-chromatography-based workflows enhance performance compared to conventional approaches. Attendees will gain insight into the Protein Sample Prep Workbench, a user-friendly interface designed to simplify method setup while maintaining the flexibility required to optimise experimental parameters for diverse applications.
We will also highlight recent platform updates and share key takeaways from our latest user meeting, offering real-world perspectives on how scientists are integrating the system into their workflows to improve efficiency, robustness, and data quality.
2:45pm–3:30pm Tips and Tricks For Improving Your Chromatography
- Agilent – Speaker TBC
Explore practical strategies to enhance your chromatography. Find insights into tackling protein aggregation with SEC, optimise peptide reversed-phase workflows, purify oligonucleotides using superficially porous particles, and effectively desalt fractions. This session offers real-world data and resolutions for to scientists working with complex biological and biopharmaceutical samples.
- Size exclusion chromatography – protein aggregation (mAbs/ADCs)
- Peptide reversed phase
- Oligonucleotide purification (superficially porous particles, fraction analysis)
- Desalting (removing ion pair reagents/excess salt from fractions)
3:30pm–4:00pm APC Facility Tour and close
