Roy Pattipeiluhu

RESEARCH:

Roy Pattipeiluhu was a PhD student at the Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry (SBC) group at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry, where he is working on fundamental understanding of lipid-based nanomedicine in biological systems. Within several projects, Roy is particularly interested in studying lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that encapsulate RNA molecules. These LNPs are showing enormous potential in realizing RNA therapeutics, for example by silencing disease associated proteins with the delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA). Together with his co-promotor Thomas Sharp, he is using cryo-electron microscopy to study paracrystalline lipid structures encapsulating siRNA in LNPs. By rational design of new LNP formulations the goal is to gain more understanding of nanoparticle core structure and enhance the cytosolic delivery of siRNA, which can serve as a strategy to increase the delivery efficiency of LNPs.

CURRICULUM VITAE:

Roy has a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Science & Technology from Delft University and Technology and Leiden University and a Master’s degree in Chemistry from Leiden University, with a focus in Chemical Biology. During his masters, Roy performed several internships and projects. As a part of his master’s thesis in 2015, he developed light-activated angiogenic peptides for the use in embryonic zebrafish in the SBC group at Leiden University, focusing on organic and peptide synthesis. During this period, he was funded a NWO Top Sector Chemistry Student grant and spend several months working on dual directed liposomes for tumour treatment. In addition, Roy participated in the 2015 honours programme of the Netherlands Research School of Chemical Biology. In 2016, he worked on an enzymatic fluorescent labelling method in the bacterium C. Crescentus in the Tirrell lab at the California Institute of Technology, where he increased his knowledge in biochemistry, bacterial cell culture and protein chemistry. In 2017, Roy started his PhD in the SBC Group at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry, under his promotor Alexander Kros and co-promotor Thomas Sharp.