Rapid selection of monoclonal antibodies against axolotl epitopes

The axolotl is an amphibian that displays amazing regeneration capabilities and a strong resistance to cancer. Although this makes it a very promising research model, there is a lack of tools to work with: the genome is not sequenced and most commercial antibodies work poorly or not at all on axolotl protein. To solve the antibody problem, we plan to produce monoclonal antibodies specific to axolotl proteins, with the help of MédiMabs. In order to shorten the tedious selection process that usually comes with positive clone isolation; we propose a one-step separation approach which should reduce the selection time from a few weeks to a single day. We will also test different fusion methods to find the one with the best long-term clone stability. Once developed, these approaches will improve MédiMabs’ productivity by removing a bottleneck in their operation. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate their skills at developing antibodies against unusual and difficult targets.

Faculty Supervisor:

Stéphane Roy

Student:

Partner:

MediMabs

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: