Jacob Elmer, PhD
Dicciani Endowed Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering | College of Engineering Villanova University
Social
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Genetic Engineering:
Decades of research have yielded several vehicles that can efficiently deliver genes to human cells (e.g. viruses, lipids, polymers), but most transgenes are recognized as foreign and quickly silenced after they reach the nucleus. Dr. Elmer’s research focuses on enhancing and prolonging transgene expression to make gene therapy more effective - specifically, enhancing gene expression inside T cells, which can then be genetically reprogrammed and used to target and eradicate leukemia cells.
Blood Substitutes:
A shortage in human blood donations is a serious and life-threatening issue that plagues developing countries, battlefields and healthcare facilities alike. Professor Elmer’s research is focused on finding a universal donor “blood substitute” that is safe, stable for long periods of time, and is an effective oxygen carrier. His research is currently focused on developing invertebrate hemoglobins as novel blood substitutes.
Education
Ohio State University
PhD
University of Missouri
BS
Dual BS degrees in Biochemical Engineering and Biological Sciences
Select Accomplishments
2017 NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award
The CAREER Program offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award in support of the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization. Dr. Elmer’s award will support the study of the innate immune response to non-viral gene therapy in non-immune cells (e.g. prostate or breast cancer cells).
2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChe) Outstanding Faculty Award
The Outstanding Faculty Award recognizes a faculty member, preferably within the first five years of his/her appointment, who has contributed to the profession through publications and presentations in his/her field, demonstrated commitment to teaching and students, and a strong record of service to the department, college, university and professional organizations.
Select Media Appearances
Synthetic Blood Substitute Research Advances Rapidly
The Washington Post print
2022-04-16
Jacob Elmer’s group at Villanova University is instead exploring hemoglobin from the earthworm commonly known as Canadian nightcrawler — which naturally circulates in the bloodstream without the protection of a red blood cell.
“Earthworm hemoglobin has many favorable adaptations that makes it a great blood substitute candidate,” Elmer said, “and preliminary studies have shown that they can safely deliver oxygen in mice and hamsters without the adverse effects of cow and human hemoglobin.”
How Earthworms Could Be Used to Save Lives on the Battlefield
KYW News radio
2020-01-22
Earthworm hemoglobin could soon be used as a blood substitute to save the lives of soldiers in the field.
Dr. Jacob Elmer, associate professor of chemical engineering at Villanova University, says the substitute is plentiful and appears to work.
"You can go to Walmart right now and get them, Canadian nightcrawlers. So, so far we've only tested it in mice and hamsters but what we've seen so far has been very promising," he said.
He says in the past, blood substitutes have come from humans or cows and have all had serious side effects including stroke and heart attacks.
The earthworm substitute doesn't have to be refrigerated so it's perfect for use on the battlefield and it can be used for any blood type.
This Villanova Researcher is Using Earthworms to Create a Human Blood Substitute
Philadelphia Magazine online
2019-12-18
Associate professor Jacob Elmer says the critters may hold the secret to a viable and sustainable replacement for human blood donations.
Villanova Professor Sees Earthworms as Hope for Human Blood Substitute
Philly Voice online
2017-02-07
A Villanova University chemical engineering professor, seeking to find an alternative source for human blood in unconventional emergencies, believes he may have identified an underground candidate: earthworms.
Research Grants
CAREER: Manipulating the Innate Immune Response to Improve Gene Therapy
National Science Foundation
2017-2022
Evaluation of Invertebrate Hemoglobins as Effective, Safe, and Ultra-Stable Blood Substitutes
National Institutes of Health
2017-2020
Biomanufacturing: Optimizing the Isolation, Transfection, and Expansion of CAR-T cells with Modified PES Membranes
National Science Foundation
2016-2018
Manipulating Epigenetic Mechanisms to Enhance Non-Viral Transgene Expression
National Science Foundation
2014-2017
Select Academic Articles
Sequencing of the Lumbricus terrestris genome reveals degeneracy in its erythrocruorin genes
BiochimieSean Dowd, Luke Lagalante, Jack Rahlfs, Catherine Sharo, Dana Opulente, Anthony Lagalante, Jacob Elmer
2024
Optimization of electroporation and other non-viral gene delivery strategies for T cells
Biotechnology ProgressEmily Harris, Jacob J. Elmer
2020
Prolonging the shelf life of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin for use as a novel blood substitute
Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and BiotechnologyMuzzelo C, Neely C, Shah P, Abdulmalik O, Elmer J.
2017
Limitations associated with the storage of red blood cells have motivated the development of novel blood substitutes that are able to withstand long-term storage at elevated temperatures. The hemoglobin of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (LtEc) is an attractive blood substitute candidate, since it is resistant to oxidation and aggregation during storage. Several factors were investigated to optimize the thermal and oxidative stability of LtEc during storage, including pH, antioxidant supplements, and deoxygenation. A strategy for the reduction of fully oxidized LtEc with antioxidants was also developed.
The histone deacetylase inhibitor Entinostat enhances polymer-mediated transgene expression in cancer cell lines
Biotechnology and BioengineeringElmer JJ, Christensen MD, Barua S, Lehrman J, Haynes KA, Rege K
2016
Eukaryotic cells maintain an immense amount of genetic information by tightly wrapping their DNA around positively charged histones. While this strategy allows human cells to maintain more than 25,000 genes, histone binding can also block gene expression. Consequently, cells express histone acetyl transferases (HATs) to acetylate histone lysines and release DNA for transcription. Conversely, histone deacetylases (HDACs) are employed for restoring the positive charge on the histones, thereby silencing gene expression by increasing histone-DNA binding. It has previously been shown that histones bind and silence viral DNA, while hyperacetylation of histones via HDAC inhibition restores viral gene expression. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment with Entinostat, an HDAC inhibitor, enhances transgene (luciferase) expression by up to 25-fold in human prostate and murine bladder cancer cell lines when used with cationic polymers for plasmid DNA delivery. Entinostat treatment altered cell cycle progression, resulting in a significant increase in the fraction of cells present in the G0/G1 phase at low micromolar concentrations.
Hypervolemic infusion of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin purified by tangential-flow filtration
TransfusionElmer, J., Zorc, K., Rameez, S., Zhou, Y., Cabrales, P., & Palmer, A. F.
2012
BACKGROUND: The hemoglobin of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (also known as erythrocruorin, or LtEc) is a naturally occurring high-molecular-weight protein assembly (3.6 MDa) that is extremely stable, resistant to oxidation, and transports oxygen similarly to human whole blood. Therefore, LtEc may serve as an alternative to donated human red blood cells. However, a suitable purification process must be developed to produce highly pure LtEc on a large scale that can be evaluated in an animal model to determine the safety and efficacy of LtEc...
Functional comparison of hemoglobin purified by different methods and their biophysical implications
Biotechnology and BioengineeringElmer, J., Buehler, P. W., Jia, Y., Wood, F., Harris, D. R., Alayash, A. I., & Palmer, A. F.
2010
Hemoglobin (Hb) that is purified from red blood cells (RBCs) is commonly subjected to harsh processing conditions, such as high temperatures and extensive column separation, which may damage the Hb by altering the heme prosthetic group and/or the Hb protein structure. In this study, bovine and human Hb purified by tangential flow filtration (TFF) was compared to commercial preparations of human Hb (Hemosol, Inc., Toronto, Canada) and bovine Hb (Biopure, Inc., Cambridge, MA). Purified Hbs were characterized by measuring their overall purity (SDS–PAGE, SEC, and ESI-MS), susceptibility to oxidation (kox), responses to physiological conditions (pH, [Cl−], [IHP], and T), and ligand binding kinetics (O2, NO, and CO)...
