Kathryn A. Mesa

About

Kathryn A. Mesa is a bioprocess engineer whose research focuses on the rapid and stable production of HIV vaccine candidates using Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines. Her major contribution lies in addressing a critical bottleneck in HIV vaccine development: the notoriously low yield of envelope glycoproteins (Envs) expressed in stable CHO cells, which can be 10–100 times lower than for other therapeutic proteins. Mesa pioneered the use of robotic selection to accelerate the development of high-producing, stable CHO cell lines, dramatically shortening the timeline for generating consistent, scalable manufacturing platforms. Her work also includes engineering a stable MGAT1− CHO cell line to produce clade C gp120 with enhanced binding to broadly neutralizing antibodies—a key step toward eliciting a protective immune response. With her most-cited paper accumulating 21 citations, Mesa’s research is foundational for translating complex HIV immunogens from the lab bench to clinical-grade production. By combining automation, cell engineering, and virology, she is helping to overcome the manufacturing hurdles that have long impeded an effective AIDS vaccine.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Robotic selection for the rapid development of stable CHO cell lines for HIV vaccine production

   21 citations · 2018
2. 2
   Development of a Stable MGAT1− CHO Cell Line to Produce Clade C gp120 With Improved Binding to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies

   3 citations · 2018
3. 3
   Robotic selection for the rapid development of stable CHO cell lines for HIV vaccine for production

   2 citations · 2018

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links