Harshal Zope, M. Tech, Ph.D.

Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School Medical Research Building RB-503B, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115

zopeharshal@gmail.com, phone: +1 617-735-7875 Self-sponsored work permit

SUMMARY

Delivery systems such as liposomes, polymer nanoparticles, and micelles for small molecules, peptides, adjuvants and

oligonucleotides.

Strong interdisciplinary research background in vaccines and cancer chemotherapies.

Skills to conduct due diligence for pharmaceutical technologies.

Successfully lead several collaborative research projects demonstrating strong interpersonal and presentation skills.

EDUCATION DEGREE/POSITION INSTITUTE

May 2014-

Feb 2010 -Mar 2014

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ph.D.

Harvard Medical School/Brigham & Women’s Hospital,

Boston, USA.

Supramolecular & Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden

University, The Netherlands.

Jul 2009 -Jan 2010 Researcher International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), ICGEB, New

Delhi, India.

Jul 2008 -Jun 2009 M.Tech: Master of Technology,

(Biotechnology ; GPA 5.8/6)

Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB),

University of Pune, India.

Jun 2003 -Jun 2008 M.Sc: 5-years Integrated Master of Science

(Biotechnology; GPA 7.2/10)

Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB),

University of Pune, India.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

Synthetic chemistry: Synthesis, purification, and characterization of bioactive small molecules, macro/molecules, biopolymers,

PEGylated polymers. Solid phase and Solution phase peptide synthesis.

Analytical techniques: Quantification of encapsulated biomolecule and it’s sustain release. UV-VIS, gel electrophoresis, qPCR,

peptide sequencing, chromatography techniques like HPLC, Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), column chromatography, Ion

exchange, size exclusion (SEC) and affinity chromatography. Mass spectrometry techniques like MALDI-TOF, LC-MS. Biophysical

techniques like Circular Dichroism (CD), NMR, 2-D NMR, IR Spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission/Scanning

Electron Microscopy (TEM/SEM).

Tissue culture related techniques: Mammalian cell culture, 3D culture, confocal imaging, live imaging, flow cytometry.

In vivo: Mouse, Rabbit, Zebrafish. Bio-distribution and Pharmacokinetics analysis.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE 2005-2016 Ongoing projects: At Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital (PI: Dr. Omid Farokhzad)

1. Developing mRNA based nanoparticulate vaccines against prostate cancer (In collaboration with Zetter lab at BCH).

2. Developing novel peptide based nano-immunoformulations against HIV and prostate cancer (In collaboration with Uli Von Adrian

lab at HMS).

3. Understanding the chemistry behind the chemoresistance process in prostate cancer and designing siRNA therapy.

4. Studying the role of tumor associated macrophages as a slow-release reservoir of nano-therapeutic Pt(IV) pro-drug (in

collaboration with Lippard lab at MIT & Weissleder lab at MGH).

5. Developing a novel Lipid-PEG conjugates to modulate Alzheimer causing proteins (In collaboration with Leiden University).

Completed projects: At Leiden University, The Netherlands (PI: Dr. Alexander Kros)

1. Developed high throughput In vivo chemical toxicity assay (in collaboration with industrial partners ZF-screens, Shell, and

Syngenta).

2. Studied an influence of variable polyethylene glycol (PEG) linker region in membrane fusion (ERC funded).

3. Developed biomaterials for In vitro and In vivo bio-membrane engineering (ERC funded).

4. Developed polypeptide nanoparticle adjuvant for influenza vaccine (in Collaboration with LACDR, Leiden).

5. Developed a unique method of synthesizing novel random poly(amino acid)s and studied their use as additives in the biomimetic

mineralization (in collaboration with TU/e).

6. Developed liposome-cell fusion system to deliver therapeutic compounds to the cytoplasm.

Completed Projects: At International center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India.

7. Developed conformational preferred peptide immunogens as a candidate vaccine against HIV-infection (IAVI funded).

8. Designed, synthesized and formulated dipeptide nanoparticles for anticancer therapy.

Completed Projects: At National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, India.

9. Designed and synthesized novel cell penetrating peptides.

10. Synthesized 2,3-diallyl indole, a heterocyclic compound.

PATENTS 1. Cell surface engineering and direct drug delivery mediated by lipidated coiled-coil motif, H. Zope, F. Versluis, H. R. Marsden and

A. Kros, 2012, PCT/EP2012/071320.

2. Charged particles for biomedical applications, H. Zope, J. Wu, B. Yameen, X. Zhu, M. A. Islam, J. Shi, O. Farokhzad, 2016 (in

process).

PUBLICATIONS 1. Xu Xiaoding, Wu Jun, Liu Yanlan, Yu Mikyung, Zope Harshal, Zhao Lili, Li Qing, Si Michelle, Victorious Amanda, Farokhzad Omid,

Shi Jinjun, Targeted Sharp pH-Responsive and Membrane-Penetrating siRNA Delivery Nanoplatform for Prostate Cancer Therapy,

(Submitted).

2. Jos J.M. Lenders , Lukmaan A. Bawazer , David C. Green , Harshal R. Zope, Paul H.H. Bomans , Gijsbertus de With , Alexander

Kros , Fiona C. Meldrum , and Nico A.J.M. Sommerdijk, Combinatorial Evolution of Biomimetic Magnetite Nanoparticles,

(Submitted).

3. H. Zope, J. Voskuhl and A. Kros; Insights into membrane fusion: an influence of variable polyethylene glycol linker region,

(manuscript in preparation).

4. H. Zope, P. Racz, Y. Gao, A. Ordas, H. Spaink and A. Kros, In vivo uptake of drugs in a zebrafish based toxicity screening assay,

(manuscript in preparation)

5. G. Martelli, H. Zope, E. Nicolosi, R. Kieltyka and A. Kros; The iinfluence of lipid bilayer thickness in membrane fusion, (manuscript

in preparation).

6. V. Dmitrović, H. Zope , J. J.M. Lenders , G. de With and N.A.J.M. Sommerdijk and A. Kros; Random polypeptides and their effect

on CaCO3 biomineralization, (manuscript in preparation)

7. MA Islam, EKG Reesor, Y Xu, HR Zope, BR Zetter, J Shi, Biomaterials for mRNA delivery, Biomaterials science, 2015, 3 (12), 1519-

1533.

8. Miles A. Miller, Yao-Rong Zheng, Suresh Gadde, Christina Pfirschke, H Zope, Camilla Engblom, Rainer H. Kohler, Yoshiko Iwamoto,

Katherine S. Yang, Bjorn Askevold, Mikael Pittet, Stephen J. Lippard, Omid C. Farokhzad, Ralph Weissleder; Tumor associated

macrophages act as a slow-release reservoir of nano-therapeutic Pt(IV) pro-drug, Nat. Comm., 2015, 6, 8692.

9. M Rabe, H Zope, A Kros, Interplay between lipid interaction and homo-coiling of membrane-tethered coiled-coil peptides, Langmuir, 2015, 31 (36), pp 9953–9964.

10. M. Rabe, A. Boyle, H. Zope, F. Versluis and A. Kros; Determination of oligomeric states of peptide complexes using thermal

unfolding curves, Biopolymers- Peptide Science, 2015, 104 (2), 65-72.

11. M. Rabe, H. Zope and A. Kros; Accessibility of 13C labeled amides in amphipathic helices in peptide-peptide and peptide-

membrane complexes, (manuscript in preparation)

12. J. J.M. Lenders, H. Zope, A. Yamagishi, P. H.H. Bomans, A. Arakaki, A. Kros, G. de With and N.A.J.M. Sommerdijk; Bioinspired

magnetite crystallization directed by random copolypeptides, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2015, 25 (5), 711-719.

13. H. Zope, V. Dmitrović, J. J.M. Lenders,* G. de With, N.A.J.M. Sommerdijk and A. Kros; A library of random copolypeptides by solid

phase synthesis, 2014, Biomacromolecules, 15(10), 3687-95.

14. M. Rabe, C. Schwieger, H. Zope, F. Versluis and A. Kros; Membrane interactions of fusogenic coiled-coil peptides: implications

for lipopeptide mediated vesicle fusion, 2014, Langmuir, 30 (26), 7724-7735.

15. H. Zope, F. Versluis, A. Ordas, J. Voskuhl, H. Spaink and A. Kros; In vitro and In vivo bio-membrane engineering using coiled-coil

motif, Angew Chem. Int. Ed. Eng., 2013, 52, 14247-14251.

16. H. Zope, C. Barnier Quer, P.H.H. Bomans, N.A.J.M. Sommerdijk, W. Jiskoot and A. Kros; Peptide amphiphile nanoparticles enhance

the immune response against a CpG adjuvanted influenza antigen, Ad. Healthc. Mater., 2013, 3, 343-348.

17. G. Martelli, H. Zope, M.B. Capell and A. Kros; Coiled-coil peptide motifs as thermo responsive valves for mesoporous silica

nanoparticles, Chem. Commun., 2013, 49, 9932-9934.

18. F. Versluis, J. Voskuhl, B. Van Kolck, H. Zope, Bremmer M., Albregtse T. and A. Kros; In situ modification of plain liposomes with

lipidated coiled coil forming peptides induces membrane fusion, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, vol. 135, 8057−8062.

19. A.S. Schenk, H. Zope, Y.Y. Kim, A. Kros., N.A.J.M. Sommerdijk and F.C. Meldrum; Polymer-induced liquid precursor (PILP) phases

of calcium carbonate formed in the presence of synthetic acidic polypeptides-relevance to bio-mineralization, Faraday

Discussions, 2012, vol. 159, 327-344.

20. J. Voskuhl, C. Wendeln, F. Versluis, E. Fritz, O. Roling, H. Zope, C. Schulz, S. Rinnen, H.F. Arlinghaus, B.J Ravoo, and A. Kros;

Immobilization of liposomes and vesicles on patterned surfaces by a peptide coiled-coil binding motif, Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit,

2012, 51(50), 12616–12620.

21. T. Zheng, J. Voskuhl, F. Versluis, H. Zope, I. Tomatsu, H.R. Marsden, and A. Kros; Controlling the rate of coiled coil driven

membrane fusion, Chem. Commun., 2012, 49, 3649-3651.

22. C. Barnier Quer, H.R. Marsden, S. Romeijn, H. Zope, A. Kros and W. Jiskoot; Polymersomes enhance the immunogenicity of

influenza subunit vaccine, Polym. Chem., 2011, 2, 1482-1485.

23. I. Tomatsu, H.R. Marsden, M. Rabe, F. Versluis, T. Zheng, H. Zope and A. Kros; Influence of pegylation on peptide-mediated

liposome fusion, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 18927-18933.

SELECTED WORKSHOPS, POSTER PRESENTATIONS AND TALKS

Poster presentation at EMBO Workshop on Cell-Cell Fusion, Nov 2013, Ein Gedi, Israel.

Poster presentation at New Frontiers Symposium in Synthetic Life, 2013, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Selected for prestigious TRANSVAC course; “Practical approaches to vaccine development”, Sept 2012, University of Lausanne,

Switzerland.

Invited talk on “Polypeptide block-copolymer and their self-assembly” at Dutch Polymer Days (DPD), 2011, Veldhoven.

Poster presentation at Gordon Research Conference (GRC), supramolecular assemblies and Chemistry, 2011, Italy.

Workshop on “Nanotechnology- Current status and Challenges”, Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T), March 2007, New Delhi.

LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Organizer of Healthcare Innovation and Commercialization (HIC) workshop by Harvard Biotechnology Club at Harvard Medical

School.

Performing due diligence for Raqia technology organized by Harvard Biotechnology Club, 2016.

Completed miniMBA organized by Harvard Biotechnology Club, 2016.

Reviewer for Scientific Reports, Journal of Controlled Release, PLOS ONE, RSC Advances, Acta Biomateralia.

Abstract reviewing committee member of “Peptides Chemistry & Biology”, Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), 2012.

AWARDS AND HONORS

Selected for Merck Serono innovation cup 2015, Darmstadt, Germany.

Business plan competition winner (PREVENT tool), Healthcare Innovation & Commercialization (HIC 2014) at Harvard Medical

School.

Selected for final 20 teams across India for Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Student Team 2009 (BEST 2009) organized by

Department of Biotechnology (DBT) India, for the topic “Leachate Treatment Using Biological Methods”.

Member of Pune University team which won “Avishkar-2006” an inter university research competition.

MENTORING

Postdoc, 2014-Present at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/ Harvard Medical School; 9 undergrad students.

Ph.D., 2010-2014 at Leiden University; 4 Master’s and 5 bachelor students.

Ph.D., 2010-2014 at Leiden University; practical course on “organic chemistry BFW (Bio-pharmaceutics)”.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Influential in educating the municipal (governmental) officials regarding the pollution of the ground water due to dumping of

domestic waste of Pune city.

Lab website designing and maintenance.