EuroMAbNet: European Monoclonal Antibodies Network

Members

Audrey Teh

Name of the laboratory

Members of the laboratory

Group Leader

Dr Audrey Teh

Research Technician

Ms Atrin Hamidzadeh

PhD Students

Mr Zack Croxford

Ms Anya Choudhury

Summary of research

The Immunobiologics and Global Access Group develops recombinant antibodies, immunotherapies and vaccines using plant expression systems. Our research focuses on the design, engineering, production and functional characterisation of monoclonal antibodies and related biologics, with the aim of improving their efficacy, manufacturability and accessibility.

We use plants as scalable and cost-effective production platforms for recombinant proteins targeting cancer and infectious diseases. By integrating molecular immunology, antibody engineering, glycobiology and biotechnology, we investigate how antibody structure, Fc composition and glycosylation influence therapeutic function and safety. Our work spans molecular design, recombinant expression, and biochemical and functional characterisation.

Current activities include the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors, multispecific antibodies, Fc-engineered antibody variants and virus-like particle vaccines. We are also developing next-generation plant expression platforms to improve recombinant protein yield, quality and consistency.

The group collaborates with academic, clinical and industrial partners across Europe and Southeast Asia in areas including antibody engineering, glycobiology, vaccinology and biologics manufacturing. A central theme of our research is the development of production technologies that may contribute to broader access to biologic medicines.

Research activities

Recombinant antibody production and engineering

We develop monoclonal antibodies, multispecific antibodies and antibody-derived therapeutics using plant expression systems. Current projects focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors and multispecific formats for cancer immunotherapy. We investigate how molecular architecture influences expression, assembly, stability and biological activity.

Fc engineering and glycoengineering

The therapeutic properties of antibodies are strongly influenced by their Fc region and glycosylation profile. Our research explores how protein engineering and host glycoengineering can be used to modulate Fc receptor interactions, effector functions, pharmacokinetic properties and safety. Functional assessment includes receptor-binding studies, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis of binding kinetics and affinity, and immune cell-based assays.

Antibody therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy

The laboratory develops antibody therapeutics for oncology applications, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and next-generation multispecific formats. Particular interests include Fc-silenced antibodies, glycoengineered antibodies and strategies to modulate anti-tumour immune responses while maintaining favourable safety profiles.

Expression platform development

A major focus of the group is the optimisation of plant-based production platforms for recombinant proteins. We develop improved host chassis, expression vectors and genetic engineering strategies to increase protein accumulation, product quality and manufacturing robustness. Current work includes the identification of host factors that limit recombinant protein production and the development of next-generation Nicotiana expression systems.

Biologics accessibility and implementation

Our group is interested in how innovative manufacturing technologies can contribute to more equitable access to biologic medicines. Working with international partners, we investigate scientific, regulatory and implementation challenges associated with decentralised biologics production, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Techniques available

• Plant-based production of monoclonal and multispecific antibodies
• Fc engineering and glycoengineering
• Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and antibody binding kinetics
• Functional Fc receptor characterisation
• Immune checkpoint inhibitor characterisation
• Transient expression and stable transformation in plants
• CRISPR/Cas engineering of plant production hosts

Publications (2021-present)

• Chincinska, I.A., Sołtys-Kalina, D. & Teh, A.Y-H. Beyond Starch: Towards a Scalable Potato Platform for Molecular Farming. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2026. DOI: 10.1111/pbi.70616.
• Ridgley, L.A., Falci Finardi, N., Gengenbach, B., Opdensteinen, P., Croxford, Z., Ma, J.K-C., Bodman-Smith, M., Buyel, J.F. & Teh, A.Y-H. Killer to cure: Expression and production costs calculation of tobacco plant-made cancer immune checkpoint inhibitors. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2023, 21(6):1254-1269. DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14034.
• Grandits, M., Gruenwald-Gruber, C., Gastine, S., Standing, J., Reljic, R., Teh, A.Y-H. & Ma, J.K-C. Improving the efficacy of plant-made anti-HIV monoclonal antibodies for clinical use. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2023, 14:444. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1126470.
• Sun, H., Yang, M., Lai, H., Neupane, B., Teh, A.Y-H., Jugler, C., Ma, J.K-C., Steinkellner, H., Bai, F. & Chen, Q. A Dual-Approach Strategy to Optimize the Safety and Efficacy of Anti-Zika Virus Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics. Viruses. 2023, 15(5):1156. DOI: 10.3390/v15051156.
• Falci Finardi, N., Teh, A.Y-H. & Ma, J.K-C. Engineering Secretory IgA against Infectious Diseases. In: Immunosuppression and Immunomodulation. Tyagi, R.K., Sharma, P., Sharma, P. (eds). InTech Open. 2023. DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.108426.
• Göritzer, K., Grandits, M., Grünwald-Gruber, C., Figl, R., Mercx, S., Navarre, C., Ma, J.K-C. & Teh, A.Y-H. Engineering the N-glycosylation pathway of Nicotiana tabacum for molecular pharming using CRISPR/Cas9. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2022, 13:1003065. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1003065.
• Pinneh, E.C., van Dolleweerd, C.J., Göritzer, K., Drake, P.M., Ma, J.K-C. & Teh, A.Y-H. Multiple gene expression in plants using MIDAS-P, a versatile type II restriction-based modular expression vector. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 2022, 119(6):1660-1672. DOI: 10.1002/bit.28073.
• Teh, A.Y-H., Cavacini, L.A., Hu, Y., Kumru, O., Xiong, J., Bolick, D.T., Joshi, S.B., Grünwald-Gruber, C., Altmann, F., Klempner, M., Guerrant, R.L., Volkin, D.B., Wang, Y. & Ma, J.K-C. Investigation of a monoclonal antibody against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, expressed as secretory IgA1 and IgA2 in plants. Gut Microbes. 2021, 13(1):1-14. DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1859813.
• Moore, C.M., Grandits, M., Grünwald-Gruber, C., Altmann, F., Kotouckova, M., Teh, A.Y-H. & Ma, J.K-C. Characterisation of a highly potent and near pan-neutralising anti-HIV monoclonal antibody expressed in tobacco plants. Retrovirology. 2021, 18(1):17. DOI: 10.1186/s12977-021-00560-6.