Dr. Butler is the Scientific Director of the NSERC-sponsored strategic network grant for `Production of single-type glycoform monoclonal antibodies ‘(MabNet)’ that was awarded in 2010 to the University of Manitoba for a 5-year program ($5million). MabNet is a consortium of 12 industry, 10 University and 2 government agency partners, with the research program led by 20 investigators. The objectives of the research have been to develop optimal process technologies for the production and purification of monoclonal antibodies with defined glycosylation characteristics. MabNet’s focus is widely recognized as essential for the biomanufacture of antibodies with improved and consistent clinical efficacy. The program has focused on clinically relevant monoclonal antibodies such as Hereceptin and a novel camelid-based antibody that shows potential for enhanced tissue penetration. The research has been conducted under an integrated plan involving 4 major themes that span the areas of structural analysis, upstream processing, cell culture control and downstream processing.
Visit mabnet.ca for further details.
Brief Profile
Scientific Director of MabNet; NSERC-funded strategic network for the production of single-type glycoform monoclonal antibodies (2010-)
Distinguished Professor of Animal Cell Technology, Dept Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Canada (2008-).
Previous academic appointments: Associate Dean (Research), NSERC/ Apotex Industrial Research Chair in Fermentation Technology, University of Manitoba; Principal Lecturer/ Biotechnology at Manchester Metropolitan University; Visiting Scientist/ Professor at MIT, Animal Virus Inst, (Pirbright), University of Oxford & University of Rio de Janeiro.
Qualifications: BSc (Biochemistry, Birmingham), Cert Ed (Birmingham), MSc (Chemistry, U of Waterloo), PhD (Biochemistry, King’s, U of London).
Editor: Biotechnology Advances, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Encyclopedia of Cell Technology, Open Biotechnology Journals.
Member: Biochemical Society, Canadian Soc. of Microbiology, Canadian. Soc Chemical Engineering, International Soc. for Protein Expression (Board member). elected to executive committee of European Society of Animal Cell Technology (ESACT), Advisory panel of Cell Culture Engineering
Publications: 7 books, >100 peer-reviewed scientific articles.
Commercial: President of Biogro Technologies Inc. (serum-free media development)
Research interests: animal cell technology, glycosylation, development of mammalian cell culture bioprocesses for scale-up and industrial production
Recent Awards: 2011: President of International Society for Protein in Animal Expression; 2010: Scientific Director of MabNet: Strategic network for production of monoclonal antibodies; 2004:Winner of the Synergy Award by NSERC (Canadian Research Council) for innovation involving University-Industry collaboration;
2008: Distinguished Professor award (1 of 20 at University of Manitoba)
Membership of grant awarding agencies: NSERC/ committee on University/Industry grants (Ottawa), NSF/ Small Business Fund (Washington), MHRC/ Health research (Winnipeg), Alberta Ingenuity Fund
International: Chair of organizing committee for Conference on Protein Expression in Animal Cell (PEACe) Angra dos Reis, BRAZIL, September 16-20, 2007;
Leader of Biotechnology sub-group in Canadian government Department of Foreign Affairs mission to Brazil, Advisory panel to Swedish program on Biotechnology at the Stockholm Royal Inst. Technology, Chair of SFI Advisory panel (Dublin, Ireland)
