BOKU University, Austria
Author Profile
Suitable for this Advances in Plant Biotechnology
Dr. Alexandra Castilho is highly suitable for the Research Award in Advances in Plant Biotechnology. Her pioneering contributions to plant glycoengineering, her leadership in international projects, and her impact on developing plant-based biopharmaceuticals make her a deserving candidate. Her research has not only advanced scientific understanding but also facilitated tangible innovations in the biotechnology industry. Recognizing her work would align with the goals of promoting cutting-edge plant biotechnology research with applications in medicine, agriculture, and sustainable biomanufacturing.
Education
Dr. Castilho completed her Ph.D. in 1996 at the John Innes Institute, University of East Anglia, UK, where she focused on plant glycobiology and molecular biotechnology. She earned her Applied Plant Biology degree from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, in 1990. During her studies, she undertook international research experiences, including an Erasmus Fellowship at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France (1990-1991). As a Ph.D. student (1992-1995), she conducted extensive research on plant-based glycan modifications, laying the foundation for her career in plant glycoengineering. After earning her doctorate, she pursued postdoctoral research at the John Innes Institute (1996-1999) and later at the Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB), Portugal (2000-2003). Her interdisciplinary education and research have shaped her expertise in plant glycosylation, protein engineering, and biotechnology applications.
Professional Experience
Dr. Castilho has held multiple research and leadership positions in plant biotechnology. Since 2018, she has been a Principal Investigator at IPBT, BOKU Vienna, heading the Plant Glycoengineering Group. From 2010 to 2017, she was the Scientific Coordinator of the Laura Bassi Center PlantBioP, where she led groundbreaking studies on plant-based therapeutics. Prior to that, she served as a Senior Researcher at BOKU Austria (2004-2010) and an Invited Scientist at the Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal (2003-2004). Her postdoctoral work at ITQB Portugal (2000-2003) and John Innes Institute, UK (1996-1999), focused on plant glycosylation mechanisms. With over 30 years of expertise in plant biotechnology, molecular biology, and glycoengineering, she has been a key contributor to research projects in plant-based pharmaceuticals, glycan optimization, and biopharmaceuticals production.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Castilho has received multiple awards for her contributions to plant glycoengineering and biotechnology. Her work in plant-based biopharmaceutical production has been widely recognized, earning her the Laura Bassi Center of Expertise Award (2010-2017) for scientific leadership. She has also been honored with funding from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) for high-impact projects on plant-derived glycoproteins. In 2023, she was a keynote speaker at GLUPOR 14 and an invited expert at international conferences, including Plant-Based Vaccines & Antibodies 2019. Her patents on plant glycoengineering have contributed to innovative therapeutic solutions, making her a globally recognized scientist in plant biotechnology. She has been a reviewer for top-tier journals and a collaborator on EU-funded research initiatives, further establishing her prominence in the field.
Dr. Castilho specializes in plant cell and molecular biology, glycoengineering, and plant-derived biopharmaceuticals. Her expertise lies in engineering plant glycosylation pathways, optimizing glycan structures for therapeutic applications, and identifying glycan-dependent protein-protein interactions. She has extensive experience in modifying plant-derived therapeutic proteins for biomedical applications, contributing to plant molecular farming as a viable alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals. Her research integrates glycobiology with applied biotechnology, focusing on plant-derived cancer therapeutics, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and viral decoy molecules. She leads multi-institutional research projects on biomanufacturing glyco-optimized proteins. Dr. Castilho is proficient in CRISPR-based gene editing, protein expression systems, and glycan analysis techniques, making her a leading figure in plant glycoengineering.
Publications
An engineered PD1-Fc fusion produced in N. benthamiana plants efficiently blocks PD1/PDL1 interaction
- Journal: Plant Cell Reports
- Year: 2025
- Authors: Shiva Izadi, Rafaela Abrantes, Simon Gumpelmair, Vinny Kunnummel, Henrique O. Duarte, Peter Steinberger, Celso A. Reis, Alexandra Castilho
The ligand-dependent suppression of TCR signaling by the immune checkpoint receptor LAG3 depends on the cytoplasmic RRFSALE motif
- Journal: Science Signaling
- Year: 2023
- Authors: Katharina Aigner-Radakovics, Annika De Sousa Linhares, Benjamin Salzer, Manfred Lehner, Shiva Izadi, Alexandra Castilho, Winfried F. Pickl, Judith Leitner, Peter Steinberger
Engineered soluble, trimerized 4-1BBL variants as potent immunomodulatory agents
- Journal: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy
- Year: 2023
- Authors: Claire Battin, Annika De Sousa Linhares, Judith Leitner, Anna Grossmann, Daniela Lupinek, Shiva Izadi, Alexandra Castilho, Petra Waidhofer-Söllner, Katharina Grabmeier-Pfistershammer, Jochen Stritzker et al.
In planta deglycosylation improves the SARS-CoV-2 neutralization activity of recombinant ACE2-Fc
- Journal: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
- Year: 2023
- Authors: Shiva Izadi, Ulrike Vavra, Stanislav Melnik, Clemens Grünwald-Gruber, Esther Föderl-Höbenreich, Markus Sack, Kurt Zatloukal, Josef Glössl, Eva Stöger, Lukas Mach et al.
Assessment of transient expression strategies to sialylate recombinant proteins in N. benthamiana
- Journal: Journal of Biotechnology
- Year: 2023
- Authors: Shiva Izadi, Vinny Kunnummel, Herta Steinkellner, Stefan Werner, Alexandra Castilho