ARC (Agricultural Research Council)

Proposal number:

41231

Focal area:

Biotechnology

Total funding:

R 3,124,000

Funding year 1:

R 1,882,000

Funding year 2:

R 410,000

Funding year 3:

R 832,000

The immune system produces antibodies in response to challenge by foreign antigens such as viruses or bacteria. Since antibodies recognise antigens in a highly specific manner, they are widely exploited to diagnose human, plant or animal diseases. Advances in molecular biology now make it possible to bypass the immune system and produce "recombinant" antibodies in bacteria without immunising or bleeding animals. Immunoglobulin genes are expressed by bacterial viruses which display antibodies on their surface. Consequently, the entire diversity of the immune system can be contained in a volume of a few microlitres. Binders that recognise a particular antigen can then be specifically selected from this huge repertoire. This project proposes constructing a large collection, or "library", of such antibodies using a framework derived from chicken immunoglobulin genes together with a synthetic combining region. The antibody library will be constructed at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute and made available to a number of other laboratories for screening. The primary aim is to search for recombinant antibodies that recognise pathogens affecting food security and economic development by causing plant and animal diseases. An attempt will then be made to incorporate suitable antibodies into diagnostic kits which will be made commercially available. Since the library will effectively be a universal resource, it is also expected to be able to provide reagents that recognise a variety of other pathogens, incuding those of medical importance.

Project Coordinator:

Dr Dion Du Plessis
Phone: +27 (0)12 529 9392
Email:  Dion@moon.ovi.ac.za

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