Carina Joe: Contribution of Indonesian Diaspora to the World

ARSIP CARINA JOE

Carina Joe.

Carina Joe has been widely discussed on Indonesian media platforms after it was revealed that she was one the patent owners of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Born in Jakarta, Carina has demonstrated the great potential of biotech research should it be supported by adequate research ecosystems and infrastructures.

It was quite difficult to find the right time to hold a direct conversation with Carina after she appeared on several Indonesian media platforms. Apart from the time difference between Indonesia and the United Kingdom, challenges also arose from Carina’s busy schedule as a researcher in biotechnology. On a number of occasions, she said she was out of town.

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A number of media platforms have detailed Carina’s role in the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was led by Sarah Gilbert, a researcher of the University of Oxford, until the vaccine was patented. Carina played a central role in formulating a method so that the vaccine could be mass produced using her patent for scale-up manufacturing.

When answering Kompas’ questions, Carina said she was first involved in an overseas research project after she finished her master’s studies in biotechnology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia. Throughout her master’s studies, Carina also received an internship with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization’s (CSIRO) manufacturing division. Her focus was the manufacturing of large-scale recombinant proteins and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

She also researched how companies could increase their productivity manufacturing monoclonal antibodies using hybridoma cells.

During her master\'s studies, Carina’s research was supervised by professor George Lovrecz. Her research was on the optimization of monoclonal antibody production using different platforms and the development of protocols for the production of recombinant proteins. She also researched how companies could increase their productivity manufacturing monoclonal antibodies using hybridoma cells.

After she concluded her master’s studies, Carina received a scholarship to continue her doctorate at the RMIT. The focus of her doctoral research is to increase the immunogenicity of hepatitis B surface antigen with virus-like particles (VLP) as the only component of hepatitis B virus. This modified hepatitis B virus VLP exhibits stronger humoral immunity than commercially available vaccines.

During her doctoral studies, as well as her internship at CSIRO, Carina also developed a chimeric VLP that could produce autoantibodies in cancer patients. In addition, she also developed a purification method that could accelerate reproduction and downstreaming activities.

ILUSTRATOR KOMPAS/SUPRIYANTO

Illustration of Sarah Gilbert.

Her education and experience in the industry for more than six years pushed Carina to accept a postdoctoral opportunity at the Jenner Institute. When the pandemic first emerged, she then took part in the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine and became one of the main researchers in the laboratory with the help of research assistants.

Currently, the AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved and used in 178 countries, including Indonesia. As of July, more than 700 million doses of AstraZeneca had been injected worldwide. The number of vaccinations using AstraZeneca is expected to continue to increase as the pandemic continues. Statistical data indicates that the AstraZeneca vaccine has saved tens of thousands of human lives from COVID-19.

Supporting ecosystem

The great contribution of Indonesian researchers in the field of biotechnology abroad is a rude wake-up call for Indonesia to pay greater attention to its research ecosystem. Carina conceded that after she graduated from SMAK 1 Penabur Jakarta high school several years ago, there were not many universities in Indonesia that offered biotechnology majors, which led to her decision to study and work abroad.

Additionally, Carina also feels that the research ecosystem abroad has been long established, which creates ease for researchers to create valuable innovations for humankind. From her experience conducting research in Australia and the United Kingdom, these two countries already have an ecosystem that supports research activities, especially in the field of biotechnology.

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Other than budget availability, said Carina, researchers’ works are also supported by collaborations with experts from various fields to exchange ideas and advice.

“Research activities that are carried out solely in laboratories would face difficulties in creating outcomes that produce direct and positive impacts on humankind. Thus, it is necessary to form cooperation between industry and researchers so that the results can be enjoyed by the community at large," said Carina.

AP PHOTO/SAKCHAI LALIT

Health workers administer shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 15, 2021. As many Asian countries battle against a new surge of coronavirus infections, for many their first, the slow-flow of vaccine doses from around the world is finally picking up speed, giving hope that low inoculation rates can increase rapidly and help blunt the effect of the rapidly-spreading delta variant.

Carina further explained that collaboration between researchers, as well as technology transfers, are usually done at the last stage of research. In biotechnology research, technology transfer is carried out after passing the first or second clinical trials or when entering the third clinical trial. The first and second clinical trials are carried out by researchers in the same institution because the required dose for the first two clinical trials is not as many as the required dose for the third clinical trial.

“In many research, researchers often wait until the researched product passes the third clinical trial before they carry out any technology transfers. This is because the funds required for technology transfers are very large, and these funds are only given after sufficient data is available,” Carina explained.

However, during pandemics and urgent circumstances, the manufacturing process and technology transfers are carried out in parallel with clinical trials. Collaboration is conducted by making presentations with existing data to companies or governments that are considered capable and have an interest in mass-producing research outcomes.

JOEL SAGET/AFP

This file illustration photo taken on March 11, 2021 shows vials of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and a syringe in Paris on March 11, 2021. - The EU\'s drugs regulator said on March 18, 2021 that the AstraZeneca vaccine was "safe and effective" and was not linked to an increased risk of blood clots.

Currently, Indonesia has started to improve and build a research ecosystem that can support researchers to produce globally competitive products. However, Carina believes that all researchers, including Indonesian diaspora like herself, could work anywhere without diminishing their contribution to the country and the rest of the world.

Carina Citra Dewi Joe

Born: Jakarta, Indonesia

Current affiliation: Jenner Institute, University of Oxford

Education:

· University of Hong Kong, Bachelor’s studies

· Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Master’s studies

· Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Doctoral studies

Award:

· Excellence Award (Jenner Institute)

· Vice Chancellor Award (RMIT)

(This article was translated by Astria Zahra Nabila)