NANOBODY® technology

NANOBODY^Ⓡ molecules are single domain antibodies derived from heavy chain-only antibodies found in camelid species. These small 15 kDa proteins bind to target molecules with affinity and specificity. Bacterially expressed  NANOBODY^Ⓡ proteins can be fluorescently labeled to visualize the target in advanced microscopy techniques, or modified with biochemical handles for protein purification. Unlike antibodies,  NANOBODY^Ⓡ molecules can also be expressed in the cytosol of living cells to visualize and perturb function of endogenous targets in living cells.

To generate NANOBODY^Ⓡ constructs, we immunize alpacas and llamas and subsequently construct a plasmid library encoding the diversity of NANOBODY^Ⓡ molecules generated in the animal. We then apply phage display as well as functional screens to identify suitable NANOBODY^Ⓡ molecules. We are in the process of assembling a comprehensive collection of NANOBODY^Ⓡ proteins targeting the major innate immune signaling pathways. These allow us to specifically interfere with (or activate) the distinct steps of innate immune signaling to learn mechanistic lessons.

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