This document summarizes Jie Jean Wei's research experience over 15+ years working in biotech industries. She has experience with antibody purification, characterization, conjugation, cell culture, ELISA, flow cytometry, and more. She holds a Master's degree in biochemistry and has worked on projects related to islet cell proliferation, Her-2/neu overexpression and angiogenesis, DNA methyltransferase regulation, and human genome mapping. Her diverse experience qualifies her for continued research pursuits focused on disease mechanisms and cancer.

1. Summary of Research Experience
Jie Jean Wei
My name is Jie Jean Wei. I am currently working as a part time consultant at the Trellis
Bioscience, LLC. Before joining Trellis Biosciences, I had been working at BMS for the past
thirteen and half year. My major responsibilities there include: Antibody Purification,
Characterization and Analysis such as: Endotoxin Testing and Removal, Aggregation Removal,
Fab Preparation, Glycan Profiling and Charge Heterogeneity Assay on purified Antibody
Proteins, Antibody Conjugations, such as: APC, PE, FITC, Biotin, AlexaFluor, etc. I am
familiar with the Hybridoma Technology and am thoroughly trained in Cell Culture, ELISA and
Flow Cytometry, Etc.
I have a Master Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Keck School of
Medicine at the University of Southern California with over fifteen years of working experiences
at the Biotech Industries. I am familiar with mammalian cell culture, gene expression, PCR,
molecular cloning, nucleic acid hybridization and other techniques in Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology. The training and experience I have gained in the past make me well
prepared throughout my career.
I moved to the Bay Area with my family in October, 2001, first worked on the Adenovirus
Infection and Purification at the Aventis-Gencell for about two months. Due to the dissolving of
the division, my position was eliminated in December, 2001. Before coming the Bay Area, I
have been working on the Islet cell proliferation and characterization using ICC, western blot
and RT-PCR analysis at the VivoRx, Inc. in Los Angeles. I am also in charge of the Flow
Cytometry study there. I have been working on identifying signals promote cell aggregate
formation and insulin production. We had been working toward Pseudoislet cell formation,
maturation and characterization. I moved to the Bay Area after my husband was transferred to
here in September, 2001.
Prior to joining the VivoRx, Inc., I studied at USC School of Medicine as a Predoctoral Fellow.
From August, 1999 to August, 2000 I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Press at USC on
“Potential Role of Her-2/neu in Angiogenesis”. My research with Dr. Press is supported by the
Breast Cancer Training Grant from California BCRP. Amplification and overexpression of Her-
2/neu gene was found in over 30% of breast cancer patients. The overexpression of Her-2/neu is
becoming increasingly important as adjuncts to standard histologic and clinical evaluation. We
propose that overexpression of Her-2/neu oncogene may stimulate tumor development by
facilitating angiogenesis. The mediation may occur as a consequence of regulation of relevant
growth factors, such as VEGF/VPF, one of the most important of all known inducers of tumor
angiogenesis.
In this study, we established cell lines that overexpress Her-2/neu for in vivo and in vitro study
of its potential regulatory function in angiogenesis and the underlying mechanism. Down stream
interaction molecules in Her-2/neu signal transduction pathways will also be characterized to
identify their function in angiogenesis. It has long been shown that Her-2/neu overexpressing
cells are tumorigenic. These previous results were obtained from in vivo studies on transgenic

2. mice model. By taking a different approach, using Chick embryo - a model that is analogous to
transgenic mice, we further confirmed that Her-2/neu overexpressing cells are highly
tumorigenic. We saw a dramatic difference, approximately ten-fold in wet tumor weight for
Her-2/neu positive (NIH.189) vs the negative control (NIH.3T3) cells. Micro vessel density
counts, the direct measure of angiogenesis, differs accordingly as well.
To investigate at a molecular level the effect of Her-2/neu in the process of angiogenesis, I have
screened the difference in the expression of various angiogenesis inducers and inhibitors for Her-
2/neu positive (NIH.189) vs the negative control (NIH.3T3) cells. I have identified a number of
known angiogenesis inducers, such as VEGF, PDGF, PDECGF and bFGF which were
unregulated and a number of angiogenesis inhibitors, such as Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and
endostatin which were down regulated in Her-2/neu overexposing cells. Finally, through a
collaboration with Dr. Peter Brooks, I was able to characterize the effect of Her-2/neu on the
expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase, especially, MMP-2 and MMP-9, the so called makers of
angiogenesis. We showed that overexpression of Her-2/neu altered the expression of both
MMP-2 and MMP-9.
Prior to joining Dr. Press laboratory, I worked in a molecular biology laboratory studying in vivo
regulation of DNA Methyltransferase I expression. The problems of studying the DNA
Methyltransferase gene is that the homozygous knock out of the gene (Dnmt -/-) is embryonic
lethal and the heterozygous knock out (Dnmt +/-) has no phenotype. Our goal was to design
tissue specific knock out. The choices of potential methodologies are transcriptional down
regulation by using Lac I system and / or DNA recombination by using the Cre / Lox system.
We decided to take the first approach. First we constructed the Dnmt O allele which has three
copies of the Lac operator inserted in the intron region. When Lac I driven by the tissue specific
promoter binds to the Lac operator sites, the transcription of Dnmt O will be blocked. In order to
develop optimal Lac I, we introduced a few modifications. First we lowered DNA Methylation
(by removing CpGs), introducing optimal KOZAK and codon optimization to achieve efficient
expression. Second, we introduced Nuclear Localization Signal and Tight Binding Mutations to
achieve optimal function of the gene. Finally, tissue specific promoter was introduced to give a
tissue specific expression. The optimal Lac I thus obtained has been under testing in vitro on
Lac Z system and in vivo in transgenic mice.
In the summer of 1997, I did an internship at Amgen, Inc. Before coming to USC in the fall of
1996, I worked in the Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at the Human Genetics Department from
January to August 1996. I participated in the Human Genome Mapping by Macrosatellite
makers as well as genetic linkage analysis and mutation Detection for Asthma Patients. I left the
company and moved to Los Angeles with my husband that year. Prior to the industrial
experience, I also had two years experience at Harvard University / Biological Laboratories as a
Research Assistant III. My main responsibilities there were to complete the Genome Mapping of
Drosophila X Chromosome and to study the Evolutionary Genetics of Insertion Sequences and
Plasmids in E. Coli. While working, I also took several courses in the field of Genetics,
Biotechnology and Modern Drug Development as well as Signal Transduction in Biology and
Medicine. The knowledge I gained through these classes widened my horizon and interest in the
scientific fields.

3. From June, 1992 to September, 1993, I attended the graduate school at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and worked on protein purification in a Biochemistry Laboratory and
studied the Evaluation and Characterization of Cosolvent PEG Enhanced Refolding of Bovine
Carbonic Anhydrase B at the Biotechnology Process Engineering Center.
The experience and knowledge I gained over the years has helped tremendously on moving
research project forward and on pursuing long term career goals. I have a genuine interest in
Science and Technology, especially in the mechanism of disease and in understanding the
process of cancer. I am interested in continuing my research and pursue a career at an industry
and / or clinical setting. I am confident that I will strive to succeed to the best of my ability.
Thank you for considering my application.