David Schultz - Formulation Scientist - Novo Nordisk
DAVID SCHULTZ - FORMULATION SCIENTIST - NOVO NORDISK
Biography
David Schultzis a scientist based in Denmark, specializing in formulation and drug delivery, with expertise in both mRNA-LNPs and solid dosage forms. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Copenhagen in 2018 and recently completed a PhD at the Technical University of Denmark, focusing on mRNA-LNPs. Currently, he works as a Formulation Scientist at Novo Nordisk. David has contributed to papers published in Nature, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, and the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics.
Interview
NanoSphere: Tell us a bit about yourself—your background, journey, and what led you to where you are today.
David: When I was in high school, I was a biotechnology major. Unsure of what I wanted to study at university level I joined a trip to the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Copenhagen. Here, my passion for pharmaceutics started. Fast forward, I completed my bachelor’s degree in 2016 and master’s degree in 2018 – both in Pharmacy from the University of Copenhagen. Hereafter, I got an entry level job at the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk as an Associate Scientist doing standard pharmaceutical formulation, but also working with oral devices for drug delivery. We recently published a paper in Nature called ‘Cephalopod-inspired jetting for gastrointestinal drug delivery’ about said devices. During my time at Novo Nordisk, I always admired the Senior Scientists, a position that at the time required a PhD at Novo Nordisk. Thus, I decided to search for a PhD position in academia. I was fortunate to get a PhD position at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) where I established a collaboration with Novo Nordisk. Together, we investigated the biodistribution of mRNA-LNP delivered using an oral device in mice and pigs and compared to standard sites of injection (intravenous, subcutaneous and intramuscular). This work was recently published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces with the title ‘Gastrointestinal Device-Mediated Delivery of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles Achieves Distinct Expression and Biodistribution in Mice and Pigs’. This work required characterizing many of mRNA-LNPs formulations using the RiboGreen assay with Triton X-100, a surfactant with a suboptimal environmental profile.
NanoSphere: What drives your passion for sustainability in mRNA-LNP research?
David: Using a lot of Triton X-100 during the experiments for the paper mentioned above made me think: “There must be other surfactants than Triton X-100 that could be suitable for the RiboGreen assay”. I searched literature but could not find any studies. So, I decided to find more sustainable surfactant for use in the RiboGreen assay in relation to mRNA-LNPs. This work ultimately resulted in the paper ‘Enhancing RNA encapsulation quantification in lipid nanoparticles: Sustainable alternatives to Triton X-100 in the RiboGreen assay’ published in the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. I highly recommend academic groups and companies researching mRNA-LNPs to consider trying Tween 20 when dissociating/solubilizing LNPs. You might find that Tween 20 can replace Triton X-100 while simultaneously yielding more accurate concentration measurements and being more environmentally friendly. Sustainable approaches are essential in science if we want to keep carrying out valuable research that benefit society without causing unnecessary harm.
NanoSphere: Who have been some of the key collaborators or colleagues whose insights have inspired or complemented your work?
David: I could not have done this work without Rasmus Münter from DTU, who helped ideate this study neither without Associate Professor, Andrew Urquhart nor Jens Bæk Simonsen who were instrumental in writing and revising the manuscript.
NanoSphere: What skills or approaches have been most helpful for tackling the challenges in creating eco- friendly solutions?
David: There’s no magic to it. Try to challenge the status quo. Ask yourself: “Why are we doing the experiment in so-and-so way?”. If the answer is: “Because that’s what we’ve always done”, then try to approach the experiment with an open mind and look for possible improvements or new ways of carrying it out. NanoSphere: If there’s one key message or insight you’d like to share with readers, what would it be? David: Challenge the status quo; you might end up finding something new, exciting, useful or all the above.
David`s references:
1) Cephalopod-inspired jetting devices for gastrointestinal drug delivery | Nature
2) Gastrointestinal Device-Mediated Delivery of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles Achieves Distinct Expression and Biodistribution in Mice and Pigs | ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
2) Gastrointestinal Device-Mediated Delivery of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles Achieves Distinct Expression and Biodistribution in Mice and Pigs | ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces