Marta Pasek, Phd

A successful, passionate, and innovative professional with a background in advanced research, 12 years of industry experience, and 7 years of academic/government experience in protein biochemistry/glycobiology/conjugation chemistry, and immunoassay. Goal-oriented team player, excited to take on new challenges in resolving problems and quickly acquiring new competencies. Strong organizational and project management skills. Staff training and development. Excellent vendor and customer relationships with a commitment to providing the most positive and productive experiences. High diligence, creative thinking, proactive work style, self-motivation, and collaboration ability. Solid documentation, writing SOP, spec sheets, and product inserts.

• In 2022 awarded by Qorvo company for innovative conjugation and stabilization of immunoassay reagents, Plymouth, Minnesota
• In 2015 awarded by Biotechne/R&D systems company for innovation on an optimization of the labeling process of cytokines with identical activity and stability as their unlabeled counterparts, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• In 2007 received the Chancellor’s Award for Best Publication from a collaboration with the Polish Academy of Medicine, Wroclaw, Poland.
• In 2006 received the National Institute of Health (NIH) Scholarship, Bethesda, Maryland

• Successfully completed a number of custom orders and customer complaints, achieving a high level of customer satisfaction (on purification and/or conjugation of recombinant proteins and IgG)
• Efficiently trained, led, and developed a purification and bioconjugation team
• Great project management accomplishments by coordinating tasks, foreseeing the cost of projects, communicating with vendors, organizing webinars and meetings, writing reports, negotiating, and collaborating with the team.
• Cost-effectively successfully organized and equipped reagent chemistry lab for a start-up company
  Introduction of new technology to improve time, and efficiency scaled up manufacturing process of biotinylated IgG.
• Development of antibody conjugation protocol for COVID-19 antigen assay and COVID-19 IgG assay with high activity, stability, and consistency. Stabilization of IgG-enzyme conjugates with a long shelf life (95% stability/activity).
• Development of solid phase conjugate protocol for vitamin assays with better reproducibility, sensitivity, and stability than the current products on the market.
• Developed the protocol for Protein A and G resin manufacture with a low cost and a high quality. Launched as a product by Bio-Techne in China.
• Developed the protocol for polyHRP-streptavidin for the detection of biotinylated antibodies for IHC, Western blotting, and ELISA test.
• Developed and launched a new biotinylated cytokine product line

Alpha 1-3-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases with altered donor and acceptor specificities, compositions, and methods of use. PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2007/018678 filed 22 Aug 2007, (NIH/NCI Frederick, MD, USA.)

1. Wu ZL, Huang X, Ethen C, Tatge T, Pasek M, Zaia J. Non-reducing end labeling of heparan sulfate via click chemistry and a high throughput ELISA assay for heparanase. Glycobiology. 2016 Dec 26. pii: cww130. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cww130. 

2. Feng C, Ghosh A, Amin MN, Bachvaroff TR, Tasumi S, Pasek M, Banerjee A, Shridhar S, Wang LX, Bianchet MA, Vasta GR. Galectin CvGal2 from the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Displays Unique Specificity for ABH Blood Group Oligosaccharides and Differentially Recognizes Sympatric Perkinsus Species. Biochemistry. 2015 Aug 4; 54(30):4711-30.

3. Vasta GR, Ahmed H, Nita-Lazar M, Banerjee A, Pasek M, Shridhar S, Guha P, Fernández-Robledo JA. Galectins as self/non-self recognition receptors in innate and adaptive immunity: an unresolved paradox. Front Immunol. 2012; 3:199. 

4. Pasek M, Boeggeman E, Mercer N., Dulcey A.E., Griffiths G.L., and Qasba P.K., The N-acetyl binding pocket of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases also accommodates a sugar analog with chemical handle at C-2, Glycobiology. 2012, 22(3):379-88.

5. Pasek M, Boeggeman E, Ramakrishnan B, and Qasba PK, Galectin-1 as a fusion partner for the production of soluble and folded beta-1, 4- galactosyltransferase-T7 in E. coli, Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010; 394(3):679-84

6. Boeggeman E, Ramakrishnan B, Pasek M, Manzoni M, Puri A, Loomis KH, Waybright TJ, Qasba PK. Site Specific Conjugation of Fluoroprobes to the Remodeled Fc N-Glycans of Monoclonal Antibodies Using Mutant Glycosyltransferases: Application for Cell Surface Antigen Detection Bioconjug Chem. 2009; 20(6):1228-36. 

7. Pasek M, Ramakrishnan B, Boeggeman E, Manzoni M, Waybright TJ, Qasba PK. Bioconjugation and Detection of Lactosamine Moiety using alpha1,3-Galactosyltransferase Mutants That Transfer C2-Modified Galactose with a Chemical Handle, Bioconjug Chem. 2009; 20(3):608-18. 

8. Pasek M, Duk M, Podbielska M, Sokolik R, Szechiński J, Lisowska E, Krotkiewski H. Galactosylation of IgG from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patientschanges during therapy. Glycoconj J. 2006; 23(7-8):463-71

9.  Krotkiewska B, Buchaniewicz M, Pasek M, Krotkiewski H. Biosensor BIAcore Application in Analysis, of a Carbohydrate Moiety of Glycoproteins. Adv Clin Exp Med. 2005; 14(5):897–903

10.  Rakus D, Pasek M, Krotkiewski H, Dzugaj A. Interaction between muscle aldolase and muscle fructose 1, 6-bisphosphatase results in the substrate channeling. Biochemistry. 2004; 43(47):14948-57. 

11. Rakus D, Pasek M, Krotkiewski H, Dzugaj A. Muscle FBPase in a complex with muscle aldolase is insensitive to AMP inhibition. FEBS Lett. 2003; 547(1-3):11-4. 

12. Krotkiewska B, Pasek M, Krotkiewski H. Investigation of the carbohydrate moiety of glycoproteins using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method. Acta Biochim Pol. 2002; 49(2):481-90.

• Glycobiology group member NIH 2006-present
• Fellow Young Investigators NCI Frederick, 2007-2008
• Society of Young Biotechnologists, Wroclaw, Poland, 1994-2000