ChE 2025 Fall Seminar Series

Details

Speaker: Andrew Zydney, PhD
Bayard D. Kunkle Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering
Director, Membrane Applications Science & Technology (MAST) Center
The Pennsylvania State University

Bio: Dr. Andrew L. Zydney is the Bayard D. Kunkle Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. He also serves as Director of the Penn State site in the Membrane Applications, Science and Technology (MAST) Center. Zydney was Head of the Chemical Engineering Department from 2004-2014, and he served as founding Director of the Penn State Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology from 2017-2021. Zydney’s research is focused on the application of membranes in bioprocessing, including the purification of monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and gene therapy agents with more than 300 publications in these areas. Dr. Zydney served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Membrane Science from 2010-2019, and he is Past President of the North American Membrane Society (NAMS). He has received the Alan S. Michaels Award for Innovation in Membrane Science and Technology, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Award in Separations Science and Technology, the Gerhold Award for Excellence in Separation Science from AIChE, among others. Dr. Zydney has also received multiple teaching awards, including the Warren K. Lewis Award for Chemical Engineering Education from AIChE, the Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Delaware, and the Distinguished Teacher Award from the American Society for Engineering Education.

Talk Title: New Opportunities for Membrane Technology in the Production of Next Generation Gene Therapies

Abstract: Membrane systems are used extensively for the purification of a wide range of important biological products. This presentation will focus on new / potential applications in the production of next generation gene therapy products, including both small interfering RNA (siRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) for vaccines. Although ultrafiltration can be used for the concentration of siRNA, existing membranes / modules are unable to achieve the high concentrations (>150 mg/mL) needed for final formulations. We have demonstrated the potential of using negatively-charged ultrafiltration membranes in this application, with more than a 3-fold increase in the maximum achievable concentration. There is growing interest in the development of continuous processes for mRNA manufacture, and we have shown that membranes can play a major role in these processes for both concentration (by single pass tangential flow filtration) and purification (by high performance countercurrent membrane purification). Sterile filtration can also be a challenge for mRNA formulations using lipid nanoparticles (LNP) due to the unique properties of the LNP. This talk highlights how new advances in membrane technology can address many of the critical issues involved in the production of these next generation biopharmaceuticals.