Dr. Luis Branco

Dr. Luis Branco, Ph.D

Project Director
Autoimmune Technologies

Bio

Dr. Branco is involved in the production of monoclonal and recombinant antigens required to support the research being conducted by the Consortium. Dr. Branco has over 18 years of research and development experience in the fields of molecular biology, immunology, virology, and cell biology particularly in the design and implementation of bacterial, baculoviral, and mammalian expression systems for the production of recombinant therapeutic molecules.

Dr. Branco began his career at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst performing post-graduate research in the field of baculovirology, including design of baculovirus expression vectors and insect cell culture processes. Dr. Branco developed industry experience with a five-year tenure at MedImmune, Inc., where he served important roles in the development of bioassays for MedImmune’s flagship product, Synagis™. In addition, he performed research in the characterization of MedImmune’s leading therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) for transplantation medicine and psoriasis, Siplizumab™. Dr. Branco then transitioned to Human Genome Sciences, Inc. where he led the Stable Cell Development Group and was responsible for the generation and characterization of human mAbs to the chemokine receptor CCR5 that blocked HIV entry into permissive cells. In addition, he developed multiple flow cytometry (FACS) based assays for the high throughput differential characterization of mAbs to 7-TM proteins, and a CCR5 receptor occupancy FACS-based assay that measured the kinetics of an HIV entry inhibiting mAb in blood samples from infected patients. Dr. Branco then joined BioFactura, Inc., a startup biotechnology company, where he served as Chief Scientific Officer, and was responsible for the bacterial and mammalian protein expression element of the aforementioned U01 grant, in addition to the generation and characterization of mAbs to recombinant LASV antigens.

Recently, Dr. Branco joined AutoImmune Technologies, LLC, where he is continuing the characterization of panels of LASV- specific mAbs, in addition to generating recombinant LASV proteins with improved antigenic properties.

Selected publications

• Shedding of soluble glycoprotein 1 detected during acute Lassa virus infection in human subjects
  Branco LM, Grove JN, Moses LM, Goba A, Fullah M, Momoh M, Schoepp RJ, Bausch DG, Garry RF.
  Virol J. 2010 Nov 9;7(1):306.
• Lassa virus-like particles displaying all major immunological determinants as a vaccine candidate for Lassa hemorrhagic fever
  Branco LM, Grove JN, Geske FJ, et al.
  Virol J. 2010 Oct 20;7:279.
• Characterization of the Lassa virus GP1 ectodomain shedding: implications for improved diagnostic platforms
  Branco LM, Garry RF.
  Virol J. 2009 Sep 24;6:147.
• Uncoupling GP1 and GP2 expression in the Lassa virus glycoprotein complex: implications for GP1 ectodomain shedding
  Illick MM, Branco LM, Fair JN, Illick KA, Matschiner A, Schoepp R, Garry RF, Guttieri MC.
  Virol J. 2008 Dec 23;5:161.
• Bacterial-based systems for expression and purification of recombinant Lassa virus proteins of immunological relevance.
  Branco LM, Matschiner A, Fair JN, et al.
  Virol J. 2008 Jun 6;5:74.