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Joan Teyra is Icosagen’s Head of Protein Engineering and the leader of the Phage Display group. We conducted an interview with him where he candidly spoke about his academic journey, his transition to the biotech industry, and his experience of moving to Estonia.
Joan started out studying biology with his two best friends. However, they soon felt that this field didn’t suit their aims. When deciding what to do next, they came across one of the first-ever courses on bioinformatics in Madrid.
Joan and his friends thus decided to risk it all by investing their money to move there. The course turned out to be everything they were hoping for.
“It opened up the future for all three of us,” Joan believes.
This master’s programme led to a PhD in Germany, focusing on structural bioinformatics involving significant programming work. During his studies, he was also involved in biophysics and biochemistry when validating the predicted molecules in the lab.
After completing his PhD, Joan spent a decade in Toronto. Initially, he undertook a postdoctoral position where he co-developed machine learning approaches to predict significant cancer mutations.
Later, he transitioned to another department to focus on phage display technology. In this role, he engineered libraries of domains in search of high-affinity inhibitors for deubiquitinases – enzymes that remove a specific protein tag called ubiquitin, which acts as a labelling mechanism for other proteins.
In addition, he developed antibodies against COVID-19 proteins.
After spending 20 years in academia, Joan made a transition to the private sector by joining Icosagen. He had three specific reasons for making this decision:
1) Firstly, he desired relocation to Europe to be close to his grandparents.
2) Secondly, he had established a strong rapport with Mart Ustav Jr. during his final postdoctoral position, fostering a positive working relationship.
3) And lastly, from a career perspective, securing a similar position would have been unattainable.
Getting used to Estonia, particularly Tartu, took some time. Joan and his family moved to Estonia in the middle of winter, where temperatures can drop to -35°C, which can be tough for a southerner.
However, little by little, through engaging in outdoor activities and interacting with the community, they gradually adapted to their new environment.
Working at Icosagen, according to Joan, is a pleasant experience. The company’s diverse workforce, English-friendly environment, and well-structured nature make it a favourable place for research.
In his free time, Joan enjoys sports. His chosen sporting pursuits have varied over time, but coming to Estonia encouraged him to adapt to the many local opportunities.
He began jogging and focusing on general fitness activities alongside the Olympic runners, the Luik triplets. He also enjoys climbing, mostly because his kids love it.
Taking the future into consideration, Joan acknowledges the increasing complexity of antibody development and the challenges that the industry faces.
“The low-hanging fruit of the first wave has been picked. So now it’s becoming increasingly complex, and more protein engineering driven,” Joan explains, “competition is fierce, so we have to improve our strengths.”
Quan arribis al cim de la muntanya, segueix escalant – when arriving at the top of the mountain, keep climbing.
In a literal sense, there is always more to achieve and explore and you should never tire of climbing higher. To pursue innovation and improvement in quality of life, we do not lack passion.
This shows in our work culture and how we tackle scientific problems.
If not for perseverance and continuous improvement, how could we ever reach our full potential?
Written by KATARIINA KORDEMETS, MARI ANN VILT | Life at Icosagen
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