ChromoTek, part of Proteintech specialising in nanobody-based reagents, and Absolute Antibody, provider of recombinant antibody technology, have announced a partnership to offer recombinant engineered antibodies to scientists worldwide. The chimeric antibodies were originally derived from alpaca nanobodies and engineered onto mouse and rabbit Fc domains to open up new research applications. Available antibodies target key fluorescent proteins commonly used as tags for protein visualisation, as well as the structural protein vimentin.
The original nanobodies, the smallest known antibody format, were generated by ChromoTek from the binding domains of alpaca heavy chain antibodies. Absolute Antibody used antibody engineering to fuse the nanobodies onto mouse IgG1 and rabbit Fc domains, generating bivalent antibodies that extend the research applications of the original nanobodies. For example, the engineered antibodies provide increased apparent affinity due to avidity effects in eg. immunofluorescence experiments, as well as enable detection with different secondary antibodies to permit new co-labelling approaches. Alternatively, the engineered antibodies can be conjugated to an increased number of fluorophores for direct detection. In addition, they allow for immobilization on Protein A beads, resins or plates.
The chimeric antibodies are all recombinantly produced for ensured batch-to-batch reproducibility, high purity and low endotoxin levels. Available targets include the green fluorescent protein GFP, TurboGFP, and mNeonGreen, as well as an antibody targeting the structural and type III intermediate filament protein vimentin.
“ChromoTek is proud to offer our renown nanobodies, cited in more than 2,000 scientific publications, in new innovative formats,” commented Dr. Marion Jung, CEO of ChromoTek. “We are launching these chimeric antibodies as part of Proteintech’s recombinant antibody portfolio leveraging market access synergies.”
“Our new collaboration combines ChromoTek’s industry-leading nanobody reagents with Absolute Antibody’s recombinant antibody engineering expertise to offer scientists new and unique research tools,” said Dr. Michael Fiebig, Vice President Product Portfolio & Innovation at Absolute Antibody. “The Nanobody-IgG fusions showcase the power of antibody engineering to open up experimental possibilities and facilitate new avenues of research.”
