Conventional and In Silico-Based Approaches for the Optimization of Nanobody Biophysical Characteristics
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2024 | Viewed by 594
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nanobodies have become a particularly appreciated class of reagents to be used in many different fields of basic research, diagnostics, and therapy. A clear advantage of these recombinant antibodies is the simplicity with which they can be engineered into improved versions of the binders originally recovered by panning. Apart from random mutagenesis, their short sequences make them particularly suitable for rational design and the resulting variants can easily be tested and compared in terms of their biophysical characteristics. This opportunity has been exploited, in combination with improvements relative to their expression (e.g., purification and combination in different formats and fusions), to produce high amounts of nanobodies and nanobody-fusion proteins with desiderable features and functions suitable for final applications. Nanobodies are indeed now a sort of model for testing new approaches, both related to conventional chemical and biochemical methodologies and driven by in silico algorithms, that aim at the more rapid and safer optimization of pre-existing binders. This collection wishes to gather innovative ideas conceived for the achievement of new paradigms in the field of nanobody technology (rational design, innovative functionalization strategies, selection procedures, expression and purification optimization, methods to improve selectivity, epitope recognition, or specific antigen conformations).
Prof. Dr. Ario de Marco
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- nanobodies
- modeling
- screening strategies
- random mutagenesis
- rational engineering
- expression conditions
