Antibody and Protein Engineering Facility

Purpose for research

At the Princess Máxima Center Antibody and Protein Engineering Facility, we have broad expertise in protein and antibody biochemistry and engineering, including:

• Development of antibodies and nanobodies through selection from pre-made libraries or immunization.
• In vitrodisplay technologies (phage display, yeast display, and ribosome display) for protein engineering and antibody optimization.
• Structure-function analysis of ligand-receptor interactions.
• Expression, purification, and characterization of recombinant proteins (cytoplasmic, secreted, and membrane proteins) and antibodies.

We collaborate closely with research groups both within and outside the Princess Máxima Center and other core facilities to leverage proteins and antibodies for innovative approaches to diagnose and treat childhood cancer.

Ongoing projects include:

• Developing nanobody-based radiotracers for non-invasive PET imaging and radioimmunotherapy (in collaboration with the Theranostics Facility at UMC Utrecht, and the Tracer Center at Amsterdam UMC).
• Engineering chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) for CAR T-cell therapy (in collaboration with the CAR T-cell Programs of the Princess Máxima Center and the KiTZ in Heidelberg).
• Design of ligands with novel signaling properties to enhance organoid growth and modulate signaling pathways of interest for regenerative medicine.

Services and support

As our projects tend to be large in scope, we prefer a collaborative model that includes joined grant applications. Furthermore, we offer training and scientific advice to researchers from the Princess Máxima Center, project partners, and collaborators with a basic understanding of protein biochemistry. We can advise on broad range of experiments, which include but are not limited to:

• Generation of antibodies, nanobodies, and DARPins for protein targets. We have extensive experience isolating diverse binders (scFvs, VHHs, DARPins, Affitins) from premade or custom-made libraries using phage display and yeast display. Furthermore, we work closely with third parties to generate antibody fragments through immunization.
• Expression, purification, and characterization of proteins and antibodies. We routinely express proteins in mammalian suspension cells (Expi293 and ExpiCHO cells) and in coli. Our facility is equipped with multiple AKTA Pure Systems that can be equipped with a large range of columns, including size exclusion, affinity, and ion exchange chromatography for protein purification.
  

‘We use our expertise to interrogate questions in pediatric oncology and regenerative medicine from a new angle and to develop next-generation biologics and immunotherapies for cancer therapy.’

Dr. Claudia Janda - Coordinator Antibody and Protein Engineering Facility

Dr. Claudia Janda is a protein biochemist with a strong background in protein and antibody engineering and structural biology. Her research focuses on understanding the structure-function relationship of ligand-receptor interactions, downstream signaling and functional responses. ‘Our research is driven by the vision to apply protein engineering to interrogate questions in pediatric oncology from a new angle and to develop next-generation biologics and immunotherapies for cancer therapy and regenerative medicine.’

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