W. G. Kriebel Research profile

Wyatt G. Kriebel

Gene therapy research, computational protein modeling, and cGMP manufacturing

Krystal Biotech1University of Pittsburgh2

  • 1Bioprocess Engineer I, cGMP gene therapy manufacturing, 2025 to present
  • 2B.S. Computational Biology, 2023; research in the Byrne and Liu labs, 2020 to 2025

Highlights

  • Co-first author of a 2026 Scientific Reports study measuring vision in OCA1 mice
  • Designed and purified AAV gene therapy vectors for retinal disease in the Byrne Lab
  • Simulated de novo designed heme enzymes with AMBER molecular dynamics
  • Primary subject matter expert for a new cGMP process, working with the FDA

In brief

I am Wyatt Kriebel, and I work across molecular biology, computation, and manufacturing. At the University of Pittsburgh, I spent five years on AAV gene therapy for oculocutaneous albinism type 1, purifying vectors and building the behavioral assays used to measure vision in OCA1 mice, and later simulated de novo-designed enzymes with molecular dynamics. I now work in cGMP manufacturing of gene therapies at Krystal Biotech.

Read plain-language summaries of my research

Selected publications

Systemic, RPE-directed AAV-tyrosinase therapy restores ocular pigmentation in an OCA1 mouse model

Larimer-Picciani AM, Jacob LB, Sullinger KJ, Kriebel WG, Sahel J-A, Byrne LC

Molecular Therapy Advances 34, 201861 (2026)

Published 7 October 2026Open access

doi:10.1016/j.omta.2026.201861 Preprint

Quantifying functional vision in a mouse model of oculocutaneous albinism type 1

Kriebel WG*, Larimer-Picciani AM*, Nukala M, Sahel J-A, Byrne LC

Scientific Reports 16, 14563 (2026)

Published 23 March 2026Open access

doi:10.1038/s41598-026-45301-x

All publications and presentations

Projects

AAV docking benchmark

Benchmarking study of molecular docking

A benchmark asking whether molecular docking can reliably find the places where proteins bind sugars, and tell genuine recognition apart from poses that merely score well. Protein–glycan binding drives how AAV gene therapy vectors reach cells, so where docking fails matters.

Pilot stagePython, AutoDock Vina, HADDOCK3

Code on GitHub

Sidechain

Browser game for biochemistry teaching

A daily five-residue peptide puzzle for undergraduate biochemistry, with a scaffolded high-school mode. Guesses are scored on side-chain chemistry rather than letters, and solving reveals the real protein motif you built.

In developmentPython and JavaScript

Play the game Code on GitHub

6PPD-quinone binder design

Computational protein design

A workflow that chains protein design tools to generate computational candidate binders for 6PPD-quinone, the toxic oxidation product of the tire-rubber antioxidant 6PPD.

Early stageProtein design workflow

Code on GitHub

All projects

Research interests

Protein/enzyme engineering; molecular simulation and modeling; clean water justice; AAV vector and capsid engineering; computational benchmarking; and building biotechnologies to address a wide range of environmental concerns

Positions

  • Aug 2025 – Present Bioprocess Engineer I, Krystal Biotech
  • Mar 2025 – Aug 2025 Volunteer Computational Researcher, Liu Lab, University of Pittsburgh
  • Apr 2023 – Aug 2025 Research Technician, Byrne Lab, University of Pittsburgh

Full experience, methods and education

Keywords

  • AAV gene therapy
  • Oculocutaneous albinism
  • Retinal pigment epithelium
  • Protein engineering
  • De novo enzyme design
  • Molecular dynamics
  • scRNA-seq
  • cGMP bioprocessing

Correspondence