Development and Identification of Affibody Molecules that Target Crotalid Snake Venoms.
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Abstract
Affibodies are a type of small protein that can be designed to bind with high affinity to a researcher’s protein of choice. They have been utilized in a variety of different applications, including therapeutics, in vivo imaging, and biotechnological applications. Affibody molecules that are specific to a protein target can be selected for using a library of affibody molecules displayed on phage. In this study, a library of affibody molecules displayed on M13 bacteriophage was used to probe affibody/snake venom interactions. This particular library was developed by New England Biolabs and was used to pan against Western diamond back rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) and Western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) venoms. By performing the panning procedure of the affibody phage display library against snake venom, we hope to determine which affibodies have an optimal affinity for the venoms. By identifying affibody molecules that have affinity for snake venom proteins, we hope to perform further protein/protein interaction studies that will contribute to the field of venom research.