Abstract

Phage-Derived Substitute Antibody Interface in Biosensors for Detection of Biological Threats

Valery Petrenko, Professor, Auburn University

The urgent need in real-time detection and monitoring of pathogens in environment samples was apprehended in the last decades with a necessity of quick response to biological attacks and epidemics. However, development of biological detection and monitoring devices for the field use was hampered for a long time by traditional use of antibody-based recognition interfaces for binding and registration of biological threats. As was formulated by DARPA, they address “…two downsides of antibody-based biosensors. Antibody proteins are fragile, so they are unable to withstand extreme temperatures or survive longer than a few weeks in storage. This is not practical for civilian medical centers, let alone a war-zone. DARPA wants the new biosensors to be as resilient as possible. They are asking for molecular manipulation of the antibodies, so that the biosensors will be stable for five years, and work at temperatures that range from 25 to 70 degrees Celsius…”  Twenty years ago we demonstrated the potential of phage fused to multivalently displayed foreign  peptides, called ‘landscape phage’, as substitute antibodies, well suited for development of molecular recognition interfaces in the new generation of analytical platforms,. My talk summarizes the results of our efforts in development of the landscape phage-based interfaces for various analytical platforms, including threat-controlling biosensors, and their use for detection and monitoring of the panel of representative biological threats.