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Process and Assay Development Scientist

Location:
Atlanta, GA
Posted:
March 10, 2015

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Resume:

Veerendra Koppolu

678-***-****

**** ******* **** *****, *** I acon45@r.postjobfree.com

Atlanta, GA, 30341 LinkedIn - Veerendra Koppolu

“Open to Relocation”

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Nine years of experience in biological sciences research

2. Extensive hands-on experience in,

- Assay development (Cell/Protein/Immune)

- Protein engineering, purification and characterization

- Drug target identification and mechanism of action studies

- Cell culture process development

- Human Genetics and Molecular Biology

- Grant writing, Supervising and Multi-tasking

3. Outstanding academic performer with several publications, awards and research grants

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Cell & Molecular Biology Scientist 09/2013- Present

Metaclipse Therapeutics (Emory University Spin-off) Atlanta, GA

• In charge of protein biochemistry and immune assay development departments

• Performed pre-clinical studies in development of a cancer vaccine against Metastatic Breast Cancer

• Raised and purified monoclonal antibodies of worth $500000 from hybridoma cell cultures in 2 months

• Selected for two cell line and purification process development grants of worth $200000 in 9 months

• Constructed GMP compliant mammalian cell lines for the purification of recombinant proteins

• Developed cost efficient purification process for 4 membrane proteins and 2 antibodies using chromatography

(Affinity, Ion exchange, Hydrophobic, and Gel filtration) columns in a record span of 9 months

• Carried out stability and potency studies on purified proteins

• Developed analytical methods such as silver stain, western blot, sandwich ELISA, HPLC and mass spectometry

• Developed flow cytometry assays to evaluate surface expression of recombinant membrane proteins

• Developed Immune assays such as clonogenic assays, ELISPOT, ELISA and flow cytometry to evaluate

immune responses in mice to vaccines

• Participated in IND-enabling studies

Graduate Research 08/2008- 09/2013

University of Kansas Lawrence, Ks

• Performed a high-through put screen of 100000 small molecules to target bacterial virulence activator proteins

• Identified anti-microbial compounds that target transcription activation mechanism of virulence activators

• Performed docking, binding strength, dosage and efficacy studies on drug candidates in targeting virulence

activators

• Optimized and performed multiple molecular and biochemical assays (Cell-based reporter assay, Real-time

PCR, and Invasion assays) towards identification of anti-microbial compounds

• Utilized site-directed random mutagenesis to identify key residues required for DNA binding and RNAP

interactions by transcription regulatory proteins

• Successfully designed and constructed multiple reporter gene expression strains to perform cell based assays

• Cloned and purified 8 insoluble proteins in bacterial and mammalian expression systems

• Strictly monitored all steps in purification process to attain maximum recovery

• Utilized GE Akta FPLC and LPLC systems for purification

• Performed bioanalytical studies (CD spectroscopy, Isoelectric focusing and Dynamic light scattering) and

crystal screening studies on purified proteins

Research Associate 08/2007- 07/2008

Department of biotechnology, Govt. of India Hyderabad, India

Carried out drug screening against multiple bacterial toxic proteins

Developed and implemented ELISA, qPCR, RT-PCR and Slot-blot hybridization for diagnos is of viruses.

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EDUCATION

Ph.D – Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology 08/2008 – 09/2013

University of Kansas Lawrence, Ks

GPA – 3.85/4.00

M.S – Biotechnology (Minor in Biochemistry) 05/2005 – 05/2007

Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) Palampur, India

Department Topper and included in Deans list of best students

GRANTS

1. Agency: NIH/SBIR PhaseI

Role: Principal Investigator

Status: Submitted (awaiting decision)

Title: Development of Glycolipid-anchored cytokines IL-12 and GM-CSF as vaccine adjuvants.

2. Agency: Georgia Research Alliance

Role: Principal Investigator

Status: Funded ($150,000)

Title: Purification and immune assay development of Glycolipid -anchored immunostimulatory molecules B7 and IL-12

against triple negative breast cancer.

3. Agency: Coulter grant

Role: Principal Investigator

Status: Funded ($50,000)

Title: Development of high expression GMP complaint mammalian cell lines for use in protein purification

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

PUBLICATIONS

1. Veerendra Koppolu, Ichie Osaka, Jeff M. Skredenske, Bria Kettle, Scott Hefty and Susan M. Egan “Small

molecule inhibitor of Shigella flexneri master virulence regulator, VirF”. Infect Immun. 2013 Nov;81(11):4220-

31. PMID: 24002059

2. Jeff M. Skredenske, Veerendra Koppolu, Ana Kolin, James Deng, Bria Kettle, Byron Taylor and Susan M.

Egan “Identification of a small molecule inhibitor of bacterial AraC family activators”. J Biomol Screen. 2013

Jun;18(5):588-98. (PMID: 23364515)

3. Veerendra Koppolu and Susan M. Egan “Mechanism of transcription activation in Rns, Role of amino

terminal and DNA binding domains in transcription activation” (Submitted)

4. Bria Kettle, Veerendra Koppolu and Susan M. Egan “Allosteric Inhibition of Transcription Activation in the

AraC family protein RhaR from Escherichia coli” (Submitted)

5. Veerendra Koppolu, Iera Chatterjee and Susan M. Egan “Inhibition of Enterotoxigenic E. coli virulence

activator Rns using small molecule compounds” – Manuscript in preparation

6. Veerendra Koppolu and Periasamy Selvaraj “Method for purification of Glycolipid-anchored

immunostimulatory molecule GPI anchored B7 using a combination of classical chromatography columns ” –

Patent in preparation

7. Veerendra Koppolu and Periasamy Selvaraj “Method for purification of Glycolipid-anchored

immunostimulatory molecule GPI anchored IL-12 using a combination of classical chromatography columns”

– Patent in preparation

8. Christopher Pack, Veerendra Koppolu and Periasamy Selvaraj “Tumor membrane based immunotherapy

for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer” – Manuscript in preparation

INVITED PRESENTATIONS

1. Virulence activators as targets for treating Shigella flexneri and Enterotoxigenic E. coli infections. Weill

Cornell Medical School, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, June, 2013

2. Molecular Mechanisms and Inhibition of Transcription Activation by Bacterial AraC Family Virulence

Activators. Metaclipse Therapeutics, July, 2013

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS: 15+ abstracts

TEACHING, MENTORSHIP, AND SERVICE

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Graduate Teaching Assistant - University of Kansas - 08/2008- 08/2013

11 semesters of teaching Biochemistry, Microbial Genetics, and Cell Molecular Biology courses

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Trained over 500 students

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

In charge of developing cell culture and biochemistry labs - Metaclipse Therapeutics (Nov 2013 – Present)

Graduate student chair – University of Kansas (June 2010 – June 2011)

Graduate student co-ordinator – CSKHPKV University (June 2005 – July 2006)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Journal Reviewer: 17 International Journals

Total Papers Reviewed: 11

Affiliation: American Society of Microbiology, American Cancer Society, American Association for the

Advancement of Science

HONORS & AWARDS:

Doctoral dissertation defense award (2013)

Post-doctoral fellowship offer from Weill Cornell Medi cal School (2013)

Scientist offer at Metaclipse Therapeutics (2013)

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award – Microbiology (2012)

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award - Principles of Biology (2009)

Best Masters Student (2007)

Nomination for Youth Exchange Program between India and China (2007)

Master’s thesis award (2007)

Biotechnology Junior Research Fellowship (2005- 2007)

52nd Rank in Prestigious All India Biotechnology entrance (2005)

RESEARCH SKILLS: Over 9 years of experience in protein characterization, molecular biology, cell & immune

based assays

Immune and Bioassays: Inhibitor screens, High through put screening (96 and 384 well plates), Inhibitor

optimization, Plaque assay, Cytotoxicity assay, Alamarblue assay, Cell ELISA, Direct and In-direct ELISA,

Antibody purification, Immuno precipitation (Pull down assays), IL -2 estimation, IFN gamma estimation, T-

cell enrichment, Clonogenic assay, ELISPOT, LDH assay

Protein Characterization: Recombinant protein expression, Sonication, French press, Classical

purification (Ion exchange and Hydrophobic columns), Affinity purification (His tag, MBP tag, Antibody), Size

exclusion column, HPLC, FPLC and LPLC systems, Coomassie staining, Silver staining, SDS-PAGE, Western

blot, Dot blot, BCA assay, Protein stability assays, Intrinsic fluorescence, Dynamic light scattering, and

Crystallization

Molecular Biology: Flow Cytometry, Fluorescence imaging, Bacterial and Mammalian gene expression

analysis, Reporter gene assays, Transfection, cDNA cloning, Transformation, Electroporation, Primer

designing, PCR, Electrophoresis, Cloning, DNA and RNA isolation, Northern blot, Real time PCR ( qRT-PCR),

Recombinant DNA expressions, Sequencing analysis, Design of DNA constructs for cloning and transfection,

DNA Mobility Shift assays, Mammalian cell cultures, Tumor membrane isolation

Microbiology and Microbial genetics: BSL-2, Construct new plasmids, Construct new bacterial strains,

Bacterial genetic recombination systems (Conjugation, Transformation, Transduction), CRIM and lambda red

recombination, Site-directed mutagenesis, Random mutagenesis, UV mutagenesis, Pure culture, Gram

staining, Fluorescence and Phage contrast Microscopy, Microbial culture, Fermentation, Antibiotic disc

sensitivity

Computer Skills: Diploma in programming, MS Project, Word, Excel, Power point, Graphpad Prism, End

Note, Rasmol, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe illustrator

LinkedIn URL:https://www.linkedin.com/pub/veerendra-koppolu/a/684/93a

Personal Details: Nationality - Indian

Visa Status - H1B (Have 3 years of work authorization with an extension possible for 3 more years)

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