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Research & Academia
Insights from research projects, lab life, and the bridge between academia and industry.


Biologics CMC Series (5): ICH Q12 Lifecycle Management—Using Established Conditions and PACMPs to Manage Post-Approval Changes
Biologics processes continue to evolve after approval. This guide explains how ICH Q12 uses Established Conditions, PACMPs, PLCM documents, and the PQS to make post-approval CMC changes more predictable and risk-based.

Jason Lu
Sep 616 min read


Ribosome Stem Cell Fate: How CRISPR TAPIR Could Reshape Translation
A 2026 Science study uses CRISPR TAPIR to increase rRNA transcription and asks whether translation capacity itself can shape stem cell fate, linking ribosome biology with regeneration, ribosomopathies, and cancer.

Jason Lu
Sep 610 min read


Biologics CMC Series (4): Biologics Control Strategy—Integrating Process, Analytics, and Regulatory Requirements
Biologics quality cannot rely on release testing alone. This guide explains how to build an integrated strategy across materials, manufacturing, analytics, specifications, and continued monitoring.

Jason Lu
Aug 3011 min read


mRNA-LNP CMC: A Practical Guide to Raw Materials, Manufacturing, Analytics, and Regulations
A practical, end-to-end guide to mRNA-LNP CMC—from templates, IVT mRNA, lipid raw materials, and scale-up to potency, stability, comparability, and current global regulatory expectations.

Jason Lu
Aug 2921 min read


Does In Vivo CAR T Still Need Antibody Targeting? How ERTLNP Rethinks mRNA Delivery
The bottleneck in In Vivo CAR T may be delivery rather than the CAR itself. This article examines ERTLNP, T-cell activation, mTOR signaling, CMC implications, and the emerging 2026 clinical landscape.

Jason Lu
Aug 239 min read


Biologics CMC Series (3): ICH Q5E Comparability After Manufacturing Changes
Passing release specifications does not establish comparability. Learn how ICH Q5E integrates risk assessment, analytical characterization, stability, process data, and regulatory strategy.

Jason Lu
Aug 2214 min read


Biologics CMC Series (2): ICH Q6B Biologics Specifications: A Complete Guide to CQAs, Analytical Methods, and Release Criteria
A biologics specification is not simply a table of tests and limits. This guide explains how ICH Q6B connects product characterization, critical quality attributes, release testing, acceptance criteria, CTD Module 3, and the evolving direction of Q6(R1).

Jason Lu
Aug 1612 min read


Gene Delivery Is the Real Bottleneck: Four Signals from ISSCR 2026
Four ISSCR 2026 keynotes point to one conclusion: gene delivery is the real bottleneck in cell and gene therapy. What it means for CMC, CDMOs, and capital.

Jason Lu
Aug 1510 min read


Can We Reverse Aging? From Yamanaka Factors to the Future of Longevity Biotechnology
Executive Summary If you only have three minutes to read this article, here are five key takeaways: Aging is increasingly viewed as a biological process that can potentially be modified, rather than an inevitable consequence of time. The discovery of the Yamanaka Factors revolutionized modern biology by demonstrating that cell identity is reversible, leading to the development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Today, the most exciting direction in aging research is P

Jason Lu
Aug 119 min read


A Complete Guide to AAV Gene Therapy: From Virology, Gene Delivery to Clinical Success and Safety Challenges
Executive Summary If you only have three minutes to read this article, I hope you'll remember these six things first. The real challenge of Gene Therapy is not just finding the therapeutic gene, but how to safely and effectively deliver the gene into the right cells. AAV (Adeno-associated virus) is one of the most mature in vivo gene delivery platforms currently available. Researchers remove most of the virus's genes, retaining only the structures needed for delivery, and the

Jason Lu
Jul 2529 min read


Master’s vs. PhD: Which Degree Is Right for Your Career?
學士、碩士、博士不是越高越好,而是要看你想用學位換到什麼職涯選擇權。這篇用 2026 年職場現實、研究訓練、biotech 與跨領域案例,幫你判斷該直接工作、念碩士,還是投入博士。

Jason Lu
Jul 521 min read


iPSC Cell Therapy: Autologous vs. Allogeneic — The Future of Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapy
Figure 1. Evolution from autologous to off-the-shelf cell therapy. Comparison of autologous and allogeneic cell therapy manufacturing workflows. Unlike patient-specific manufacturing, iPSC-derived allogeneic therapies leverage Master Cell Banks (MCBs), standardized manufacturing processes, and large-scale production to enable scalable, off-the-shelf regenerative medicine. Executive Summary Key Takeaways Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have evolved from a stem cell tech

Jason Lu
Jul 429 min read


Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC): From Cell Reprogramming to Regenerative Medicine
Figure 1. The Journey of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs): From Somatic Cell Reprogramming to Regenerative Medicine. Adult somatic cells can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), expanded and banked, differentiated into specialized cell types, and applied in disease modeling, drug discovery, regenerative medicine, and cell therapy. This workflow highlights how iPSCs serve as a foundational platform technology connecting basic research with transla

Jason Lu
Jun 2822 min read


Breakthrough in mRNA Manufacturing Platforms: Can Pfizer’s USTAT Replace Plasmid DNA?
Executive Summary Pfizer has introduced a new platform called USTAT (Unified Sequential Template Amplification and Transcription). The platform uses Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) to establish an mRNA manufacturing process that does not rely on traditional plasmid DNA. The time from DNA template generation to mRNA production can potentially be reduced to approximately two days. RNA quality approaches that of conventional plasmid DNA-based manufacturing, although challenge

Jason Lu
Jun 206 min read


Type 1 Diabetes Cell Therapy: How Close Are We to a Functional Cure?
Introduction: For the First Time, Treatment Is About More Than Controlling Blood Sugar For more than a century, the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) has been relatively straightforward. If the body cannot produce insulin, we replace insulin. This approach has saved millions of lives since the discovery of insulin in 1921. However, if we look deeper, one important fact becomes apparent: We have never truly addressed the underlying disease. The problem is not simply a lack of

Jason Lu
Jun 155 min read


mRNA Therapeutics 2.0: Beyond COVID Vaccines — The Next Decade of RNA Medicine
Introduction: Many People Think mRNA Has Already Succeeded — But It’s Just Getting Started Ask most people what mRNA is, and you’ll probably hear answers like: COVID-19 vaccines Moderna Pfizer The breakthrough technology of the pandemic And they wouldn’t be wrong. COVID-19 vaccines represent one of the most successful commercial applications of mRNA technology in history. However, if you ask scientists working in RNA therapeutics, gene therapy, or drug delivery, you may hear

Jason Lu
Jun 75 min read


PEG-free LNP: Can pDLS Replace PEG in Next-Generation mRNA Delivery?
Introduction: The Next Bottleneck in mRNA Therapeutics May Not Be RNA—It May Be the LNP Since the successful launch of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, mRNA technology has rapidly expanded beyond infectious diseases into areas such as cancer immunotherapy, gene editing, protein replacement therapy, and regenerative medicine. Many scientists believe the next decade will be the golden age of RNA therapeutics. However, anyone who has worked in mRNA drug development quickly realizes a fun

Jason Lu
May 316 min read


How Amino Acids Enhance LNP mRNA Delivery: A New Direction for mRNA Therapeutics
Introduction How Amino Acids Enhance LNP mRNA Delivery: A New Direction for mRNA Therapeutics Over the past few years, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have become the cornerstone of modern mRNA therapeutics. From COVID-19 mRNA vaccines to cancer immunotherapy, rare disease treatment, and gene editing, LNPs are now one of the most important delivery platforms for nucleic acid medicines. But anyone who has worked in drug delivery knows a frustrating reality: An LNP system that perfo

Jason Lu
May 96 min read


Teplizumab for Type 1 Diabetes: The First Time We Begin to Change Disease Progression
Introduction: Treatment Is No Longer Just About Controlling Blood Glucose For decades, the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) has been relatively straightforward. If the body cannot produce insulin, we replace it. This approach works. It allows patients to manage the disease and maintain quality of life. But if you look one layer deeper, a fundamental limitation becomes clear: We have never truly changed the disease itself. The problem is not just a lack of insulin.It is that

Jason Lu
May 24 min read


How Does the Immune System Start Attacking Beta Cells? From Intuition to the Type 1 Diabetes Autoimmune Mechanism
Introduction: This Is Not a Sudden Disease Most people think of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) as something that suddenly appears —one day you’re diagnosed, and from that point on, you depend on insulin. But from a biological perspective, T1D is not an abrupt event.It is a long, gradual process that can unfold over years, even decades. At the center of this process is the progressive breakdown of the Type 1 Diabetes autoimmune mechanism. The real question is not about blood glucose.It

Jason Lu
Apr 264 min read
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