SC4: Selection, Screening and Engineering for Affinity Reagents

SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2018
MORNING 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Instructors:

Jonas V. Schaefer, PhD, Lab Head/Investigator II, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)

Christian Kunz, PhD, Associate Director, MorphoSys AG

Course Description:

A comprehensive overview of different display technologies as well as screening approaches for the selection of specific binders. In addition, it will discuss engineering strategies including affinity maturation and how to implement these strategies. Classical antibodies and antibody fragments as well as alternative binding scaffolds such as DARPins will be covered.

Topics to be Covered:

Biologics such as recombinant antibodies and alternative binding scaffolds are routinely used in a wide variety of applications from basic research to clinical indications. This success has led to the development of a vast number of different selection, screening and engineering technologies for these molecules. This short course will give a comprehensive overview on different display technologies as well as screening approaches for the selection of specific binders. In addition, it will discuss engineering strategies including affinity maturation and how to implement these strategies. Classical antibodies and antibody fragments as well alternative binding scaffolds such as DARPins will be covered.

Why You Should Attend This Short Course:

• Get an insight into different display technologies (Phage Display, Ribosome Display, Yeast Display), their advantages and their use.
• Receive firsthand information about different screening technologies (high and medium throughput, plate-based vs. homogeneous assays, …) to identify specific binders.
• Learn how to engineer your binder with respect to high affinity or species cross-reactivity

Biographies:

Jonas V. Schaefer, PhD, Lab Head/Investigator II, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)

For more than six years, Dr. Schaefer has been heading the High-Throughput Binder Selection Facility of the Department of Biochemistry, using automated Ribosome Display and various High-Throughput screenings to develop specific alternative affinity reagents (called DARPins). With his team, he develops new methodologies enabling the generation, screening and validation of several thousand binders per target which are used in numerous international collaborations for a diversity of applications, ranging from basic research to diagnostic usage and medical applications.

Julia Neugebauer, PhD, Associate Director, MorphoSys AG

Dr. Julia Neugebauer currently holds the position of Associate Director and Leader Discovery Programs at the MorphoSys AG, where she heads a team responsible for antibody discovery projects including target validation, antibody selections, and functional in vitro and in vivo characterization up to lead selection. Prior to that position Julia Neugebauer worked at MorphoSys as Project Team Leader for Customer Collaboration Projects. Altogether she has more than 10 years of experience in the field of antibody discovery and engineering. Julia Neugebauer studied biochemistry at the University of Regensburg and at the New York University and earned a PhD from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich.