Array Based Affinity Selection

Project SummaryFunds are requested to apply technologies being developed in a current NIGMS award to generate recombinant antibody-like affinity reagents to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As aproof-of-principle experiment, we have already isolated four fibronectin type III (FN3) monobodiesthat bind with low nanomolar affinity to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein. An administrative supplement will permit continuation and expansion of this work to generateaffinity reagents that bind with picomolar affinity and can be used in sensitive, robust diagnosticassays (homogenous assays, lateral flow assays) for virus particles in saliva. Separately, thesemonobodies will be reformatted as bivalent Fc fusions and overexpressed in CHO cells. Suchreagents have the potential to serve as therapeutic agents that lower or block viral entry into patients ACE2-expressing cells.1