Kees Franken

RESEARCH

Since 1996 I’m working as a research technician for the Department of Infectious Diseases and for the Department of Immunology. The focus of my work is the production and purification of recombinant proteins using Gateway DNA technology and standard cloning. The proteins are expressed at milligram scale in  both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems. Proteins are purified using various chromatographic techniques such as affinity, ion-exchange, gel filtration and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. I’m also involved in the organisation and production of class I HLA monomers and tetramers and in peptide-HLA binding assays.

Next to the work in research I’m also functioning as a health and safety officer.

CURRICULUM VITAE

I studied medical biochemistry at the HLO in Etten-Leur from 1988-1992. My internship at the BPRC in Rijswijk under supervision of Dr. P.H. van der Meide involved the cloning, expression and purification of rat TNFα.

From 1992-1996 I worked in the department of Molecular Genetics, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories under the supervision of Dr. N. Goosen on the purification of the UvrABC proteins from E. coli.