De Novo Sequencing a Bispecific T Cell Engager
Our client is a biotechnology company developing therapeutics that target cancer-specific carbohydrate antigens on the surface of tumour cells.
January 2025
October 2024
Trick or Treat: Unmasking Antibody Reproducibility in Life Sciences
In this webinar, you will learn: How mAb irreproducibility could unknowingly impact your research outcomes Proven strategies to mitigate reproducibility risks when using research reagents The role of antibody sequencing in ensuring reproducibility with mAbs Rapid, cost-effective sequence confirmation for routine applications The next frontier: polyclonal antibody sequencing and recombinant pAbs [...]
August 2024
Antagonistic Antibodies: Opportunities and Obstacles
Written by: Jenna Kerry, MSc Published: August 14, 2024 Contents What are Antagonistic Antibodies? How do Antagonistic Antibodies Work? Antagonistic Antibody Opportunities Antagonistic Antibody Obstacles Antibody Discovery Platform for Antagonistic Antibodies What are Antagonistic Antibodies? Antagonistic antibodies are a monoclonal antibody that bind to and [...]
Detecting and Preventing Disulfide Scrambling in Monoclonal Antibodies
Written by: Jenna Kerry, MSc Published: August 1, 2024 Contents Introduction Disulfide Bond Structure and Function in Monoclonal Antibodies Disulfide Scrambling in Monoclonal Antibodies Impact of Disulfide Bonds on Monoclonal Antibodies Strategies to Prevent Disulfide Scrambling in Monoclonal Antibodies Disulfide Bond Analysis for Monoclonal Antibodies Introduction [...]
July 2024
Antibody Discovery Processes
Written by: Vanessa Yoon Calvelo, PhD Published: June 6, 2023 Updated: July 7, 2024 Contents Introduction Early Discovery and Development of Therapeutic Antibodies Target Identification and Validation Antibody Discovery and Expression Lead Characterization and Selection Lead Engineering and Optimization Candidate Selection and Downstream Characterization Introduction [...]
May 2024
Cell-Free Methods of Producing Antibodies to Intracellular Targets
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
Ask Our Experts: Navigating Antibody Characterization through LC-MS
In this webinar, you will… Learn the details of LC-MS based antibody characterization in early discovery and production pipelines Explore in-depth the analytical methodologies and strategies essential for comprehensive antibody characterization, covering post-translational modifications, glycan profiles, peptide mapping, and disulfide linkages Ask your burning questions and get expert guidance on navigating antibody [...]
April 2024
Generation and Optimization of Off-The-Shelf Immunotherapeutics Targeting TCR-Vβ2+ T Cell Malignancy
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
March 2024
Priming Agents Transiently Reduce the Clearance of Cell-Free DNA to Improve Liquid Biopsies
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
February 2024
Antibody Production: A Guide to Choosing a Recombinant Expression System
Written by: Jenna Kerry, MSc Published: February 2, 2024 Contents Introduction Recombinant Expression Systems Recombinant Expression of Polyclonal Antibodies Rapid Novor's Services Introduction Once antibody discovery, lead selection, and characterization is complete, researchers have a range of expression systems to choose from to produce the [...]
Maximizing Liquid Biopsy Sensitivity through the Power of DNA-Binding Antibodies
In this webinar, you will learn: Non-Invasive Liquid Biopsies: Cell-free DNA as a key analyte for non-invasive liquid biopsies for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. Enhanced Cell-Free DNA Recovery: Strategies to improve cell-free DNA recovery, including the use of DNA priming agents like DNA-binding monoclonal antibodies. Fc-Domain Engineering: The process of engineering [...]
January 2024
Combined Analytical Assays for the Characterization of Drugs Binding to Human IgE: Applicability to Omalizumab-bearing Biosimilar Candidates Assessment
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
October 2023
New Antibody Characterization Essentials from Discovery to Clinic
In this webinar, you will learn: Workflows for antibody characterization that extend beyond the primary amino acid sequence How to leverage HDX-MS for epitope mapping and SPR for binding kinetics to understand the mechanism of action and maximize the effectiveness of your characterization efforts How to ensure high-quality antibody production with [...]
August 2023
Latest Advancements in Antibody Engineering – Bispecifics, Diagnostic Controls, and More
In this webinar, you will learn: Antibody technologies for the design of unique antibody formats Advancements in engineering efforts for the development of functionally tailored antibodies, recombinant isotype antibody panels, and multivalent fragment antibody constructs Characterization of different bispecific antibody formats Next generation protein sequencing to aid in bispecific antibody design [...]
July 2023
Antibody Discovery Dead Ends and New Approaches
In this webinar, you will learn: About the challenges commonly encountered in antibody discovery campaigns, including non-functional antibodies, limited diversity, developability issues, and immunogenicity. How to de-risk antibody discovery campaigns, while balancing speed and spend Discover how a proteomics and mass spectrometry-based approach to antibody discovery, utilizing REpAb polyclonal sequencing, presents [...]
Single-Molecule Characterization of Subtype-Specific β1 Integrin Mechanics
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
June 2023
CAR-iNKT Cells Targeting Clonal TCRVβ Chains as a Precise Strategy to Treat T Cell Lymphoma
With 22 functional T cell receptor (TCR)Vβ subunit families making up the normal T cell repertoire, signals from these cell surface receptors often determine the fate of normal cells. However, mutations in TCR signaling proteins are frequently associated with peripheral T cell lymphomas (TCLs), including adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), which indicates a driving role for TCRs in TCL oncogenesis. As TCL and ATL are clonal in nature, tumour cells typically express a single TCRVβ subunit with no bias in the usage of TCRVβ subunit families. Consequently, targeting the specific TCRVβ subunit presents a promising therapeutic approach that is highly selective and tumour-specific.
May 2023
Rational Antibody Design and Engineering with Next Generation Protein Sequencing
In this webinar, you will learn: A strategy for generating recombinant mAbs and antibody derivatives directed towards antigens involved in mitotic cell division Methods for antibody engineering and customization, species switching, and construction of antibody fragments How Next Generation Protein Sequencing (NGPS) works Applications of NGPS to aid engineering and recombinant production of [...]
Evaluation and Selection of a Lead Diabody for Interferon-γ PET Imaging
De novo protein sequencing can support the development of antibody-based reagents, including Dbs and other antibody fragments. Working with the exact amino acid sequence of the mAb can help facilitate the in silico design and conjugation design processes, ensuring accuracy in the final engineered format.
Functional Characterization of Therapeutic Antibodies
Written by: Vanessa Yoon Calvelo, PhD Published: April 24, 2023 Contents Introduction Functions of Therapeutic Antibodies Functional Assays for Therapeutic Antibodies Functional Characterization in the Therapeutic Antibody Discovery Process Introduction Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and related biological products often present as ideal therapeutics largely due to: Their [...]
April 2023
Immunochemical Characterization of Therapeutic Antibodies
Written by: Vanessa Yoon Calvelo, PhD Published: April 14, 2023 Contents Introduction Immunochemical Properties of Therapeutic Antibodies Rapid Immunochemical Characterization of Antibodies Introduction Therapeutic antibodies, predominantly monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), are a rapidly expanding class of drugs with over 100 mAb-based biologics now approved for the treatment [...]
The Shortcut to Reliable Diagnostic, Control, and Assay Antibodies
In this webinar, you will learn: IVD and immunoassays, supply chain risk management considerations How monoclonal and polyclonal antibody sequencing works, requirements Effective production, validation, and scale-up of recombinant antibody reagents Characterization of mAbs for assay design Abstract Polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) are well known for their robustness and [...]
Exploring the Sheep (Ovis aries) Immunoglobulin Repertoire by Next Generation Sequencing
By conducting an in-depth analysis of non-antigen immunized sheep Ig repertoires via NGS, this data provides further insight into the adaptive immunity of sheep and lays a foundation for future work on immunogenetics and ovine antibody drug development.
Navigating Intellectual Property Protection for Antibodies
In This Webinar, You Will Learn: Why IP is important in the development of antibody-based assets Patent application process and requirements How to strengthen patent applications Applications of De Novo Protein Sequencing, SPR assays, and HDX-MS for antibody-related patent applications Abstract In the development of novel and innovative antibody-based assets, [...]
February 2023
Towards Antigen-Specific Tregs for Type 1 Diabetes: Construction and Functional Assessment of Pancreatic Endocrine Marker, HPi2-Based Chimeric Antigen Receptor
Antibodies with established, specific targets can be sequenced and utilized to engineer the hinge region and antigen-binding domains with antibody fragments and derivatives. With the sequence information in hand, further steps to optimizing a viable therapeutic approach can be more accessible.
December 2022
Antibody Discovery Platforms
The great debate on the use of in vivo versus in vitro sources and strategies for antibody discovery and generation continues to thrive among antibody research groups. On one side of the debate is the argument for non-animal-derived antibodies due to the technical advancements of current in vitro technologies, and the moral obligation to reduce animal usage. On the other side of the debate is the counterargument for animal-derived antibodies due to their better performance in affinity, specificity, and reduced immunogenicity risk.
Structural Characterization of Endogenous Tuberous Sclerosis Protein Complex Revealed Potential Polymeric Assembly
To date, near-complete cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) density maps of pTSC were obtained by either employing chemical cross-linking or graphene oxide-coated grids during sample preparation; however, this may not reflect the true native state of pTSC.
October 2022
Resistance to Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer’s Disease in an APOE3 Christchurch Homozygote
De novo protein sequencing provided the research team with insurance by securing the complete amino acid sequence of a therapeutic mAb candidate for ADAD. This mass spectrometry-based protein sequencing technique can be used to obtain the sequence information of any antibody or protein for biomarker discovery, characterization, and validation. Access to this structural information only broadens our understanding of disease pathogenesis and fosters the development of innovative therapeutic or preventative treatments.
Characterizing Biomolecular Interactions with Surface Plasmon Resonance
Biological processes are driven by molecules that interact through specific molecular contacts, often to form a stable complex. These interactions are typically defined by the principles of thermodynamics as well as biomolecular structure and recognition. At the simplest level is the interaction between a target molecule with a specific binding site and a probing molecule that binds to that site, resulting in the bound complex.
September 2022
Characterizing Fragile Protein Complexes
Webinar Highlights You will learn: Introduction to the structure and function of the tuberous sclerosis protein complex (pTSC) A novel strategy for isolating and purifying protein complexes from native sources using recombinantly produced Fabs How Next Generation Protein Sequencing (NGPS) works Applications of NGPS to aid design and engineering of recombinant antibody [...]
August 2022
Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy
Written by: Vanessa Yoon Calvelo, PhD Updated: January 19, 2023 (Published: August 11, 2022) Contents What is Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy? What is SPR Used For? How Does SPR Work? SPR Experimental Workflow SPR Sensorgram SPR Advantages SPR Applications SPR Antibody-Antigen Interaction Analysis at Rapid Novor What is [...]
Moving Towards Biosimilar Drugs
Written by: Vanessa Yoon Calvelo, PhD Published: August 3, 2022 Contents What are Biosimilar Drugs? Why are Biosimilars Being Developed? Biosimilars are not the Equivalent of Generics Biosimilar Development Biosimilar Monoclonal Antibodies De Novo Protein Sequencing Solutions in Biosimilar Development What are Biosimilar Drugs? Biosimilar drugs, [...]
July 2022
Protein Characterization by HDX-MS
Characterization of proteins and protein complexes is a major keystone of structural biology. As our understanding of cellular processes continues to evolve from simple pathways to complicated networks, our need for advanced analytical methods is quite apparent. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based structural approaches can be used to study protein conformational changes and dynamics, protein motion/flexibility, ligand-protein binding, and protein-protein interfaces.
Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors for Gene Therapy Delivery
Written by: Vanessa Yoon Calvelo, PhD Published: July 11, 2022 Contents What is Gene Therapy? What are Adeno-Associated Viruses? Engineering of AAVs for Gene Therapy Engineering AAVs for Improved Transduction Engineering AAVs for Improved Immunogenicity De Novo Protein Sequencing Applications in AAV Characterization and Development What is Gene [...]
Next Generation Vaccine Development with Proteomics
As nearly all individuals have pre-existing immunity to influenza viruses, influenza-specific memory B cells will likely be recalled upon COBRA HA vaccination. By comparing the antibody response towards specific wild-type influenza strains and COBRA antigens, we can begin to understand the potential for COBRA-based vaccines to be used in the clinic.
June 2022
Chimeric Antigen Receptors and T cells – CAR-T
Written by: Vanessa Yoon Calvelo, PhD Published: June 13, 2022 Contents What is CAR-T Cell Therapy? CAR Structure and Function CAR-T Cell Development Engineering Strategies for CAR-T Cells De Novo Protein Sequencing Applications in CAR-T Cell Development What is CAR-T Cell Therapy? The infusion of T cells [...]
Characterization and Modulation of Anti-αβTCR Antibodies and Their Respective Binding Sites at the βTCR Chain to Enrich Engineered T Cells
αβTCR-engineered T cells have been applied in clinical trials, specifically directed against cancer/testis antigens. Though the clinical outcomes are promising, only a small proportion of patients benefit from these novel treatments. Lower response rates are partially attributed to a heterogeneous mixture of non-engineered and poorly engineered T cells that remain in the administered therapeutic product. For successful translation of these novel treatments into the clinic, engineering efforts should be reinforced with effective methods for engineered T cell purification and engineered T cell elimination post infusion into patients.
Why do Post-Translational Modifications Matter?
Written by: Vanessa Yoon Calvelo, PhD Updated: January 19, 2023 (Published: June 2, 2022) Contents What are post-translational modifications (PTMs)? Impact of PTMs Types of PTMs PTMs increase microheterogeneity of antibodies PTM Analysis by LC-MS The Importance of Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are processing [...]
Protein Structure and How to Study It
Written by: Yuning Wang, PhD Updated: January 26, 2023 (Published: June 3, 2022) Contents Introduction The Four Levels of Protein Structure How are Protein Structures Studied? Introduction Structural information provides a great deal of understanding of how a protein works, which can allow us to [...]
May 2022
What is HDX-MS?
The origin of hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) dates back to the 1950s, when protein scientist Linderstrøm-Lang created a method involving protein deuteration to distinguish amide hydrogens participating in secondary structures. Today, scientists frequently rely on HDX data to investigate protein structure, conformational dynamics, and protein-ligand interaction.
Enriching Engineered T Cells with Antibody Sequencing & Modulation
Known, high-performing and well used antibodies against useful targets on CAR-T cells can be examined for mechanism of action using proteomics and mass spectrometry. Knowledge of the antibody sequences via Next Generation Protein Sequencing (NGPS) can be useful for humanizing or otherwise engineering constructs. Rapid Epitope mapping by HDX can be useful for both epitope and paratope engineering strategies.
April 2022
Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Cocktails Targeting Nipah Virus and Hendra Virus Fusion Glycoproteins
Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) are types of Henipaviruses (HNVs) that originated in bats and can infect the human respiratory system with detrimental consequences. As enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses, HeV and NiV use attachment (G) and fusion (F) glycoproteins on the envelope membrane to enter host cells. So far, there are no approved therapeutics or vaccines to combat the viruses in humans.
Generation and Diversification of Recombinant Monoclonal Antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are essential reagents and research tools. They are commonly generated and produced in hybridoma cells and are expected to be highly consistent. However, the instability and fragility of hybridoma cells can cause unwanted mutations, additional chains, and permanent loss of important antibodies. On the other hand, the lack of standardization validation for commercial antibodies often keeps researchers in the dark leading to the reproducibility crisis.
Identifying CDRs by Antibody Sequencing
The acronym “CDR” stands for complementarity determining region, a variable sequence of amino acids that folds into loops capable of binding to an antigenic amino acid sequence, also known as an epitope
March 2022
Breakthrough Bispecific Antibody R&D Techniques
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
Sequencing and Recombinant Expression of Goat Antibodies from a Polyclonal Mixture
Circulating in blood is a multitude of biologically important antibodies. These pools of polyclonal antibodies (pAb) are invaluable sources for drug discovery against various diseases, and for the development of robust immunoreagents for diagnostics, and research.
February 2022
Why Antibody Characterization Needs an Overhaul
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
Camelid Antibodies and Nanobodies
Written by: Yuning Wang, PhD Updated: January 18, 2023 (Published: January 21, 2022) Contents Discovery of Camelid Antibodies What are Camelid Antibodies? Structure of Camelid Antibodies and Nanobodies Advantages of Camelid Antibodies and Nanobodies Camelid Antibodies and Nanobodies for Therapeutic and Research Applications How are Camelid Antibodies [...]
Leveraging the Power of Next Generation Protein Sequencing to Shape Tomorrow’s In Vitro Diagnostics
Non-invasive, sensitive, accurate, and easy-to-manufacture IVDs will be critical to detect and monitor diseases where misfolded proteins play a significant role such as neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s, cancers like multiple myeloma, among others.
January 2022
Why Is Sequence Blindness Acceptable with Antibodies?
There have been cases where researchers have trusted a kit, and they see a positive reaction only to, unfortunately, realize that the kit was actually detecting another protein because the kit’s antibody lot changed. Such was the case for the University of Toronto’s Diamandis team who spent half a million dollars and nearly two years due to an unreliable antibody. A certificate proving that the protein sequence of an antibody remains unchanged would have easily avoided the aforementioned mishaps.
December 2021
Polyclonal Antibody Sequencing in Therapeutics Development Pipelines
Over the past several years Rapid Novor has been developing the world's best antibody protein sequencing platform, with over 2700 monoclonal antibodies and proteins sequenced. In 2020, they unveiled their most advanced technology to date- REpAb® polyclonal antibody sequencing. The platform combines the world's best protein sequencing technology and NGS to comprehensively mine the antigen specific antibody repertoire present in rabbit and human patient samples. By leveraging the platform, teams can build robust antibody assays and therapeutic leads derived from patient's blood.
Next Generation Protein Sequencing in Veterinary Medicine and Industry
Since 2006, the One Health Initiative (OHI)’s goal has been to demonstrate the inextricable link between humans, animals, and the environment. Certainly, the current global pandemic is a great testament to the ties between climate change, humans, and animals that OHI has been working to highlight. The rise of other zoonotic diseases (e.g., Hendra, and Nipah viruses) not only directly affect humans through disease transmission but may also result in deep impacts to the food supply
November 2021
What is IgBLAST?
Written by Yuning Wang, PhD and María Gerpe, PhD November 12, 2021 Contents IgBLAST Definition Why was IgBLAST Created? The Functions of IgBLAST How to Use IgBLAST Limitations of IgBLAST Additional Resources IgBLAST Definition Developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), IgBlast is [...]
In-Depth Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies with a Single Experiment and Fully Automated Data Analysis
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
Increased De Novo Protein Sequencing Coverage with Optimal Protease Cocktail
In this study, we conducted a large-scale statistical analysis of protein sequencing data from samples digested with multiple proteases to understand the impact of using different combinations of proteases to improve the depth of sequence coverage in the application of de novo protein sequencing.
October 2021
What is Peptide Mapping?
Peptide mapping is a widely used analytical technique to verify the primary structure (amino acid sequence) and characterize the chemical modifications of a protein. It analyzes peptides generated from the digestion of an isolated protein, or a protein mixture
Ushering the New Era in Anti-Drug Antibody Assays with Next Generation Protein Sequencing
Anti-drug antibody (ADA) assays are critical to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of a biological drug and rely on control reagents that mimic the ADA response to the biological drug being tested. These positive controls typically consist of animal-derived pooled polyclonal antibodies or human monoclonal antibody reference panels against the target protein drug.
September 2021
Structure of an Amino Acid
Amino acids are small organic molecules that make up peptides and proteins. All living organisms share the same set of amino acids. Amino acids come together in different orders (sequences) to form proteins. As such, each type of protein has a different three-dimensional structure and biological activity.
Overcoming Irreproducibility in Life Science Research
Our team, along with four other industry panelists, discuss ways to safeguard their research through recombinant antibodies, cell culturing procedures, antibody protein sequences, and reference identifiers.
Monoclonal vs Polyclonal Antibody Drugs
The transition from polyclonal antibody drugs to a more targeted monoclonal approach was made possible through a series of scientific and technological advancements; the most notable of which is the hybridoma technique developed by Köhler and Milstein, which allowed the generation of pure antibodies at scale.
Why is Protein Sequencing Useful?
Protein sequencing is a method that typically utilizes mass spectrometry (MS) to determine the amino acid code of a protein1. Prior to the development of mass spectrometry, Edman degradation, a method involving the stepwise degradation of peptides to derive the order of amino acids, was the mainstream approach. Nowadays, mass spectrometry is favored due to its ease of use and high throughput capabilities, though Edman degradation is still employed for specific applications in which the technique is well suited.
August 2021
What are Monoclonal Antibodies?
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are homogenous antibodies that bind to a single epitope on an antigen. Kohler and Milstein generated the first mAbs when they developed hybridoma technology in the 1970s. Because of the specificity, homogeneity and unlimited availability, mAbs are valuable reagents used in a variety of important applications including treatment and diagnosis of diseases
Antibody Validation and its Use Cases
Antibodies are used in a variety of ways in academia and industry, from tools to therapeutics. Because antibodies are produced using live processes, which are naturally error-prone, validation is required from time to time. Furthermore, to develop biological therapeutics, the protein sequence must be confirmed as part of the regulatory process.
De Novo Protein Sequencing vs DNA Sequencing
DNA sequencing is the process of determining the precise order of four nucleotides bases—adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T)—that make up the DNA molecule. From Sanger sequencing to next-generation sequencing (NGS), DNA sequencing’s accessibility and ease of use make it one of the most widely used technologies in life sciences.
July 2021
Why Verifying the Protein Sequence Is Crucial for Antibody Validation
As proteins are assembled, they fold into different structural orders: from primary to quaternary. The exact sequence of the primary structure (the amino acid sequence) will dictate how a protein will fold and function. The importance of the primary structure has been noted in several studies, where changes in the original amino acid sequence have resulted in affinity problems, binding disruption, reduced half-life, and higher aggregation odds.
Fully Harnessing the Power of Immunotherapy through Protein Sequencing
Of interest to human and veterinary drug development scientists, biologics and biosimilars development scientists, scientists performing pre-clinical assay development, immunotherapy researchers, oncolytic therapy development scientists, gene therapy development scientists, gene therapy, and oncolytic therapy researchers, CAR-T, and CAR-NK development scientists
What is the De Novo Amino Acid Sequencing Method?
Proteins are composed of peptide chains, which in turn are made up of a string or linear sequence of amino acids. Every amino acid has a basic structure containing an amino (-NH2) group and a carboxylic (-COOH) group (Figure 1B). To form a peptide, amino acids link to each other via a peptide bond, which involves the reaction between the carboxylic group of one amino acid and the amine group of another amino acid.
DNA Sequencing vs Next Generation Protein Sequencing
The protein sequence is key to understanding the function of a protein target and is critical to therapeutic and diagnostic development. This is particularly important for antibodies whose code diversity and glycosylation impact both function, and stability.
DNA vs Next Generation Protein Sequencing – a Deep Dive
This webinar offers insight into how DNA and protein sequencing compare to each other.
How Do You Obtain the Sequence of an Antibody?
Antibody sequences are critical for antibody engineering and protein characterization in therapeutic development. For antibody reagent users, knowing the sequences allows them to perform sequence analysis/alignment to identify binding and cross-reactivity so they can conduct rational experiment design.
Isoleucine and Leucine
Because they share the same mass, isoleucine and leucine are known as isobaric amino acids. Conventional mass spectrometry-based proteomics cannot be easily used to distinguish between isoleucine and leucine.
June 2021
Bispecific Therapeutics Explained
Bispecific therapeutics are monoclonal antibodies that carry a specific antigen-binding capability on each arm. Bispecifics are thus capable of having two specificities that can either double the binding affinity of the antibody toward the same antigen (increased avidity), or can now bind to two targets. Bispecifics are most often described as two types: trispecifics and bispecific T-cell engaged antibodies (BiTE).
Types of Antibodies
Written by: María Gerpe, PhD Updated: January 27, 2023 (Published: June 25, 2021) Contents Introduction Types of Antibody Structures Functions of Antibodies Introduction Antibodies or immunoglobulins (Ig) are Y-shaped glycoproteins produced by the adaptive immune system in response to antigens - substances or molecules the immune [...]
Antibody Inaccuracy, Non-specificity and Irreproducibility at The Root of Research Extinction
Antibodies are integral to life sciences research and therapeutic and diagnostics discovery and development. However, they are inherently prone to variability.
Prevalence of Secondary Light Chains
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are widely used in research, diagnosis, and pharmaceutical purposes. Lately, the relatively lower quality of research-purpose mAbs is a point of concern within the research community.
Major Antibody Databases and Their Applications
Written by María Gerpe, PhD June 18, 2021 Introduction Research publications represent an additional source of validation proof for commercially available antibodies. As such, academic and industry scientists often also rely on publication references to decide which commercial antibody to purchase. Several independent efforts exist to compile such information. For instance, [...]
May 2021
Polyclonal Antibody Sequencing with Only Proteomics
Over the past 5 years Rapid Novor has perfected monoclonal antibody sequencing, and is now sequencing mAbs from polyclonal mixtures using REpAb®. After successfully launching their proteogenomics based sequencing technology to deconvolute the immune response, the team has further evolved the technology and has derived the most abundant mAb sequences directly from rabbit blood using only proteomics. The talk will surround the development, progress and use cases for REpAb®.
April 2021
Leveraging pAbs for Therapeutic Development
Over the past several years Rapid Novor has been developing the world’s best antibody protein sequencing platform, sequencing over 2700 monoclonal antibodies and proteins. In 2020, they unveiled their most advanced technology to date - REpAb® polyclonal antibody sequencing. The platform combines the world’s best protein sequencing technology and NGS to comprehensively mine the antigen-specific antibody repertoire present in rabbit and human patient samples. By leveraging the platform, teams can build robust antibody assays and therapeutic leads derived from patients’ blood.
March 2021
A Large-Scale Comparison of MS-based Antibody De Novo Protein Sequencing and Targeted DNA Sequencing
The DNA sequences of antibodies are highly diverse due to the V-(D)-J recombination and hypersomatic mutations. As such, relying on homology-based searches to sequence novel antibodies can introduce bias to sequences obtained from proteomics approaches.
Enhanced Antibody Engineering for Development of Therapeutic Antibodies
Mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are highly attractive for manipulation for therapeutic applications as their manufacturing is relatively easy and well-established compared to mAbs derived from larger animal models. However, they also pose several challenges which limit their use as therapeutic agents.
The Underlying Cause of Medical Diagnostic Invalidation
In-vitro diagnostics (IVDs) are one of the most commonly used tools to diagnose conditions and guide treatment decisions and are often considered the “silent champion” of healthcare. They work by detecting the absence or presence of particular markers or by measuring the concentration of analytes or specific substances.
Leveraging Polyclonal Antibody Sequencing to Get High Affinity Binders Against Tough Targets
When it comes to polyclonal antibodies, how they are discovered can be just as important as how they are reproduced. In our talk originally presented at Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics Digital 2021, we highlighted the latest technology that’s capable of capturing the most abundant and high-affinity monoclonal antibodies directly from a poly mixture.
January 2021
Antibody Sequencing as a Tool to Improve Reproducibility in the Life Sciences
At PepTalk 2021, we discussed the importance of antibody standardization and explained why it’s crucial for the longevity of your research. You can listen to the full on-demand video here.
November 2020
New Era in Anti-Drug Antibody Assays
To develop robust mAb biologics, it is vital to fully characterize the protein, including its primary sequence, mutations, and important post-translational modifications
October 2020
Research Insurance with De Novo Protein Sequencing
If you could have guaranteed stability, certainty, and reproducibility for your research, would you be interested? Imagine this, if you’re 2 years into your project and your freezer died along with all of your important cell lines, what would you do? This is just one of the situations covered in this webinar, along with many other solutions researchers have begun to implement to safeguard their efforts. Whether you’re looking to proceed with stability and certainty or you’re looking for an immediate solution for your current reproducibility challenges, protein sequencing may be the answer.
September 2020
Leveraging Recombinant Patient Antibodies in Therapeutic Applications
Our team has perfected the art of monoclonal antibody sequencing and is now ready to demonstrate our ability to sequence mAbs from polyclonal mixtures. In this talk, Anthony will walk through our new polyclonal sequencing platform that uses both proteomics and genomics to sequence the most abundant antibodies found in polyclonal sera.
August 2019
What is Protein Sequencing by Mass Spectrometry?
Nowadays, DNA sequencing is so popular that it is easy to forget that the first sequenced biological material was protein – insulin, by Sanger. Sanger, and another researcher, Edman, separately pioneered protein sequencing.
April 2019
Antibody Characterization by Mass Spectrometry
In this on-demand webinar, we discuss why it is important to characterize antibodies based on their physical properties not just by what they bind, and how you can easily do the former via mass spectrometry-based protein sequencing.
February 2017
Antibody Protein Sequence Analysis Using Mass Spectrometry
One of the most important pieces of information researchers need to know during early stage antibody drug research and development is the sequence information of the antibody protein. With the advancement of mass spectrometry instrumentation and technologies, it is helpful, and sometimes critical, to conduct sequence analysis using mass spectrometry experiments.
June 2016
Moving Towards Recombinant Monoclonal Antibodies
Recombinant Monoclonal Antibodies (rAbs) are highly reproducible, customizable and pure alternatives to the traditional antibodies produced by hybridomas. Get the antibody protein sequence, either by DNA sequencing or the de novo protein sequencing technology, you can rest assured that you can have the exact antibody made recombinantly anytime in the future.