Molecular engineering of binder proteins
Principal investigator: Urpo Lamminmäki, Ph.D.
e-mail: urpo.lamminmaki [at] utu.fi
Researchers:
Gaurav Batra, Ph.D.
Eeva-Christine Brockmann, Ph.D.
Janita Lövgren, Ph.D.
Sultana Akter, M.Sc.
Nina Elonen, M.Sc.
Tuomas Huovinen, M.Sc.
Maria Lahti, M.Sc.
Janne Leivo, M.Sc.
Hanna Sanmark, M.Sc.
Susan Pérez Gamarra, B.Sc.
Erica Kuusela, B.Sc.
The research is focusing on the development of tailor-made recombinant antibodies for bioanalytical applications. We have observed that recombinant antibody based affinity reagents can significantly facilitate the development of high-performing bioanalytical assays. The techniques used to tailor the antibodies include e.g., directed evolution methods such as phage display and random mutagenesis procedures, fusion protein techniques and molecular modeling. We also have expertise in production and purification of recombinant antibodies in the scale of tens of milligrams, in site-specific chemical modification of the antibodies as well as in their profound characterization.
Recently, our research has been focused on synthetic antibody libraries and the technologies related to their construction and use. We have developed high-quality antibody libraries based on human gene sequences. These libraries can be used in efficient isolation of binders to basically any antigen.
We are also utilizing phage display technology for the mapping of human immune response against pathogens.
As one of our activities we have established MolBind service to offer tailor-made antibodies to other biochemical and biomedical research groups. The emphasis is on the production of novel and enhanced antibody binders according to clients' requirements and on the post-production modifications of the selected antibody. The service unit is supported by Biocenter Finland which enables us to provide affordable prices for associated organizations.
We are also interested in starting collaborative projects to find new possibilities to make the most of our technology.
>Suomeksi (in Finnish)
