Precision cell engineering enabled through nanopore sequencing

Abstract
Optimizing the biomanufacturing of therapeutic molecules is crucial for efficient patient treatment. The initial step in this production pipeline involves constructing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines expressing biologics molecules, which are under continuous development to improve traits such as titer and stability. Lonza has recently adopted nanopore long-read sequencing to enhance cell line engineering and biomarker discovery. This presentation will discuss the latest advancements in improving omics data accuracy through de novo genome assembly, and the integration of nanopore whole-genome sequencing and DNA methylation analysis with next-generation sequencing technologies. This integration provides an in-depth multiomics characterization of Lonza’s CHO cell lines, offering comprehensive insights into their genetic and epigenetic landscapes.

Biography
Daniel Fabian heads the Bioinformatics Innovation team at Lonza Biologics R&D in Cambridge, UK, leading multiomics data integration and predictive modeling to optimize biomanufacturing. Originally from Vienna, Austria, he earned a biotechnology degree in 2010 and a PhD in population genetics in 2014. With over 10 years of experience researching the genetic basis of immunity and aging at institutions, including the University of Cambridge and EMBL-EBI, Daniel joined Lonza in 2021 to advance cell line engineering and biomarker discovery.