CBE Seminar: “Engineering Globular Protein Vesicles for Protein-Powered Synthetic Minimal Cells and Immuno-Engineering” (Yeongseon Jang, University of Florida)
March 18 at 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Abstract:
Synthetic minimal cells provide a powerful framework for understanding and engineering life-like functions using bottom-up design principles. My research group develops bioinspired, protein-based materials that harness the programmability of recombinant fusion proteins to construct functional synthetic cell systems. Central to this effort are globular protein vesicles (GPVs), formed by the self-assembly of engineered building blocks composed of globular proteins, leucine zipper domains, and elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs). These proteins undergo environmentally triggered assembly into coacervates or vesicles, resembling biological organization and compartmentalization.
In this seminar, I will discuss how we engineer and characterize protein-assembled vesicles with tunable stability, permeability, and membrane structure. These physicochemical properties are critical for enabling biological functionality. I will highlight our recent advances in creating giant protein vesicles capable of supporting de novo protein synthesis through in vitro transcription and translation, as well as their emerging potential as autonomous sensing platforms. Building on this synthetic cell foundation, I will then present the application of GPVs to immuno-engineering, specifically as artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs) for adoptive T cell therapy. By incorporating monomeric streptavidin (mSA) into the vesicle membrane, we create a modular platform that enables high-affinity, multivalent presentation of biotinylated ligands, allowing precise control over receptor density and spatial organization. We aim to engineer mSA-GPVs that exhibit robust mechanical stability and physiological compatibility, supporting T cell activation in vitro while also enabling encapsulation and controlled release of therapeutic payloads under tumor-like conditions. Together, this work establishes recombinant protein vesicles as a versatile and scalable platform that bridges synthetic minimal cells and immune signaling, advancing the design of autonomous protein-powered systems for both fundamental studies and translational immunotherapy applications.
Yeongseon Jang
Assistant Professor
Dr. Yeongseon Jang is an assistant professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida, leading a research team to develop bioinspired materials made of polymers and proteins. She received her B.S. degree and Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University in 2008 and 2013. Before joining the University of Florida, she did her post-doctoral training in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Georgia Institute of Technology under the supervision of Profs. Daeyeon Lee, Daniel A. Hammer, and Julie Champion. Since Spring 2019 when she started her position at UF, her laboratory has developed new supramolecular biomaterials to address human health challenges. Her current research focuses on the bottom-up construction of artificial cells by engineering self-assembly of recombinant fusion proteins with the assessment of their therapeutic potential and subcellular processing mechanisms. Dr. Jang is devoted to contributing the society by mentoring students from K-8 to the postdoctoral level to guide and motivate next-generation scientists and researchers in STEM. She has received awards and honors, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, the Alex Moreno Rising Star Professorship (UF Chemical Engineering Department), the KIChE President Young Investigator Award (Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers), and the Outstanding Support for Women in Engineering Award (UF Society of Women Engineers).