Oxford Nanopore at ASGCT 2026
Oxford Nanopore will be at the ASGCT Annual Meeting at Booth 1535 in May, 2026, hosted in Boston. We will also host a Sponsor Seminar on Tuesday, May 12th. See additional details below.
Sponsored Symposium
Reimagining mRNA QC: Direct, comprehensive RNA Sequencing and advanced analytics for next-generation therapeutics
Date: Tuesday, May 12th
Time: 4:30-5:00 PM EDT
Location: 109AB
mRNA therapeutics bring a unique set of analytical challenges: long and structured molecules, sequence-dependent stability, and a growing list of CQAs that directly influence potency and safety. Many current QC workflows rely on multiple indirect, orthogonal assays, each offering only part of the picture and requiring significant time and resources.
This session brings together Lonza and Oxford Nanopore Technologies to discuss how real-time direct nanopore sequencing and machine-learning-based analysis can consolidate these measurements into a single, high-resolution workflow. We will explore how sequencing the native molecule without cDNA conversion or PCR amplification can reveal structural variants, degradation patterns, N1-methylpseudouridine modifications, capping efficiency, and poly(A) tail features.
If you’re working on mRNA design, process development, or analytical strategy, this session offers a clear view of how multi-attribute sequencing is substantially reducing analytical testing time and how these approaches are moving toward validated use in cGMP environments to establish a new gold standard for mRNA characterisation.
Agenda
4:30-5:00 PM EDT | Talk title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
4:30–4:35 | Welcome and introductions | Carrie Maynard, Oxford Nanopore Technologies |
4:35–4:40 | Title TBC | Veronica Fowler, Oxford Nanopore Technologies |
4:40–5:00 | Accelerating GMP QC testing of mRNA Therapeutics - based on next-generation sequencing and machine learning | Amanda Hughes, Lonza Netherland B.V. |
Speakers
Carrie Maynard
- Job title
- Associate Director, Biopharma Market Segment
- Institution
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies
- Biography
In her role as Associate Director of Biopharma Segment Marketing, Carrie drives the growth of the Oxford Nanopore portfolio across discovery, development, and quality control within biopharma. With nine years of experience working closely with biopharma organizations, she brings a deep understanding of industry workflows and the scientific and operational challenges that shape them. She focuses on identifying high value applications for nanopore sequencing and translating them into clear, impactful solutions for biopharma partners.
Veronica Fowler
- Job title
- Head of BioPharma, Product Management
- Institution
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies
- Biography
Veronica Fowler is Head of BioPharma at Oxford Nanopore Technologies. She has a PhD from the Royal Veterinary College in virology and has spent more than 25 years in academia, NGOs, government, and the biopharma industry, working in the field of developing vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics across both veterinary and human sectors for the world’s most important diseases.
Amanda Hughes
- Job title
- Lead Scientist
- Institution
- Lonza Netherland B.V.
- Biography
Amanda obtained her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, after which she performed postdoctoral work at the University of Dundee and EMBL Heidelberg. In 2024, she joined Lonza as a project manager and lead scientist, focused on validating ONT sequencing equipment and methods for use as multi-attribute, platform methods in QC.
