deCIPHER: (bio)chemical profiling of biopharmaceuticals

deCIPHER envisions a native, multi-dimensional liquid chromatography (MD-LC) platform to i) separate high complex mixtures of monoclonal antibody (mAb) variants with unparalleled resolving power, and ii) assess biophysical characteristics of the individual variants. In WP#1, high-resolution MD-LC workflows with native stationary-phase modulation will be developed for comprehensive chemical profiling of IgG mAb variants obtained during upstream processing. Up till now, these variants cannot be separated in their native form due to insufficient resolving power. WP#2 will focus on the development of biomimetic chromatography, allowing determination of biophysical characteristics of secretory IgA (sIgA) mAb variants. In WP#3, biomimetic chromatography will be integrated in the MD-LC platform and proof-of- concept will be established for profiling sIgA variants induced by operational effects in a down-stream processing workflow, and biochemical properties will be directly linked to biophysical protein characteristics. Two highly complementary research groups will be involved: VUB will develop the MD-LC platform, while BOKU has ample expertise in up and downstream processing of mAbs and will use the platform to provide proof-of-concept. deCIPHER takes the first steps in unlocking the potential of emerging biopharmaceuticals via comprehensive analysis of drug candidates and to obtain fundamental insights in up- and downstream processing workflows.