Generation and Characterization of Camelid Nanobodies for Applications in Biomedical Research

Proteins control nearly all biological processes in animals, including growth, metabolism, immunity, and responses to stress or disease. To understand how proteins work, scientists often need tools that can bind to them very specifically and stabilize them for study. Nanobodies are a new type of antibody fragment derived from camelids such as alpacas. Unlike traditional antibodies, nanobodies are very small, highly stable, and able to bind tightly to regions of proteins that are otherwise difficult to study. Two nanobodies have been approved as drugs and many more are in clinical trials, and this is a growing field due to the advantages of nanobodies compared to mammalian antibodies.
In this project, the student will participate in the generation and characterization of nanobodies that bind to a target protein relevant to animal health and biological regulation. The work will involve selecting nanobodies from large libraries using phage display, testing their binding using biochemical assays, and producing selected nanobodies in bacterial systems. These nanobodies can then be used as research tools to help determine protein structure and function, which ultimately contributes to understanding disease mechanisms and identifying new therapeutic strategies.

Faculty Supervisor:

Adelaine Leung

Student:

Partner:

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Biotechnology; Health and Related Sciences and Technology

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program: