Protein engineering once meant making relatively modest genetic changes and laboriously deciphering their structural consequences, typically using X-ray crystallography, a slow and technically demanding process. Progress over the last thirty years has been substantial, but in the last five years, the pace has changed dramatically. AI has moved the process from editing biology to reprogramming it. In this talk, Dr. Buckle will describe this transformation – from designing genes and proteins de novo to extending these capabilities across biological scale, from cells to tissues and, increasingly, whole organs. As the science moves faster than the ethical frameworks and regulatory systems can evolve, the gap is widening. Can we wield this new power responsibly, so it delivers the greatest possible benefit for human health?

Dr Buckle is a structural biologist and protein engineer with more than three decades of experience spanning academia and industry in the UK, Australia, and the United States. He has published over 160 papers, contributing to more than $15M in research funding, and been named inventor on 12 patents. He previously served as VP of Protein Engineering and Structural Biology at Replay, a San Diego cell and gene therapy company. where he helped launch the company in 2021.  He also founded PTNG Consulting and Biovidera, and in 2024 co-founded Scudo Biosciences, a San Diego–based stealth biotech applying proprietary hypoimmune gene therapy approaches to transform organ transplantation. 

Please join us at 6.30pm for a glass of wine and nibbles before the talk commences at 7pm. Afterwards you're invited to join us for a no-host casual dinner at Zoya Mediterranean restaurant, 1000 Prospect St., to continue the conversation.