The Antibody Society

the official website of the antibody society

An international non-profit supporting antibody-related research and development.

Congratulations to our 2022 Antibody Research Competition winners!

by

The Antibody Society sponsors competitions each year to recognize and encourage the research activities of promising student and postdoctoral fellow members. We are pleased to announce the 2022 Antibody Research Competition winners:

 

 

 

 

Rodrigo García-Valiente (Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
Poster title: Understanding repertoire sequencing data through a multiscale computational model of the germinal center

Dr. Hayden Fisher (University of Southampton, UK)
Poster title: Hinge disulfides in human IgG2 CD40 antibodies modulate activity by regulation of conformation and flexibility

Information on past competitions and winners can be found here.

Register for our upcoming webinar on BLI and its use in anti-snake venom antibody discovery

by

Biolayer interferometry (BLI) is gaining popularity for protein and small molecule quantitation and kinetics research. The new advancements in biosensors, ease of use, reproducibility and low cost is driving its adoption. Even though BLI is one of the easiest of the tools, as with many other techniques, getting the best data depends on optimization of some key experimental factors. This webinar will discuss the best practices in BLI and result of such implementation by way of an example of screening of a broadly neutralizing antibody of snake venoms.

Snake envenomation results in over 100,000 deaths and 300,000 permanent disabilities in humans annually. Contemporary antivenoms are produced from the polyclonal serum of venom-immunized livestock and are specific to a single or narrow genetic range of related snakes. Could a broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody, or a cocktail of a few broad components, provide protection from diverse snake venoms? Centi-3FTX-D09, originating from the B-cell memory of a human subject with an extensive history of diverse snake venom exposure, recognized a conserved neutralizing epitope of 3-finger toxins (3FTXs), a dominant snake neurotoxin. Four crystal structures of Centi-3FTX-D09 in complex with 3FTXs from mamba, taipan, krait, and cobra revealed the mechanism of broad neutralization to be epitope mimicry of the interface between these neurotoxins and their native host target, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Centi-3FTX-D09 provided in-vivo protection against diverse 3FTXs and, in combination with the phospholipase inhibitor varespladib, protection against whole venom challenge for diverse, genetically distinct, elapid species.

About the Speakers

Register here!

Welcome to our new AIRR Community Executive Sub-committee!

by

We are excited to announce the new AIRR Community Executive Sub-committee recently elected at the AIRR Community Meeting. The AIRR-C Executive Sub-committee comprises a Chair (Victor Greiff), a Chair-Elect (Encarnita Mariotti-Ferrandiz), a Past Chair (Lindsay Cowell), and three elected Members of the AIRR Community (Christian Busse, Nina Luning Prak and Corey Watson). To learn more about the AIRR-C Exec SC members visit their webpages.

The Society thanks our retiring Directors

by

The first annual meeting of The Antibody Society’s Board of Directors was held on December 2, 2007. Following their retirement on July 6, 2022, we are recognizing the outstanding contributions of four founding members: Dr. Andrew Bradbury, Prof. Dennis Burton,  Prof. Andreas Plückthun and Prof. Jamie Scott. In addition, we are acknowledging the strong contributions of Dr. Greg Adams who became a Director in 2013 and also retired on July 6th. Dr. Bradbury served as our first, and Prof. Scott as our second President. As stated by Dr. Bradbury: “the Society aimed to provide a forum and voice for the thousands of people working in this area and to help attract and encourage young students to all facets of the field”.  Amongst other things, this initially was done by ensuring the excellent scientific content of the Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics conference. Since that time, the Society has grown into a mature and world-renowned non-profit trade organization with ~ 2400 members from academia, government agencies and industry, and financially supported by over 40 companies ranging from the smallest biotech companies to the largest pharma firms.

The Society thanks Drs Bradbury and Adams and Profs Burton, Plückthun and Scott for their dedication and service, which has enabled the Society to grow and thrive. Each retiring member was given a special award for outstanding contributions to the Society, in the form of a piece of art which was specifically commissioned for them.

More information about The Antibody Society’s Board of Directors can be found here.

Announcing the inaugural AIRR Community Service Prize Winner!

by

We are thrilled to announce the inaugural AIRR Community Service Award winner, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the AIRR Community. The first recipient of this award was Dr. Christian Busse, a distinguished immunologist and pioneer in the field of AIRR research who was presented with the award at the AIRR Community Meeting VI in La Jolla, California in May 2022. 

The AIRR Community Service Award was established to acknowledge individuals who have demonstrated a deep commitment to the AIRR Community, including contributions to the development of standards and tools for the analysis of immune receptor repertoires, advancing the field through research, and sharing knowledge with other members of the community.

Christian Busse, of DKFZ in Germany, has been an active member of the AIRR Community for many years, serving as a member of the Executive Sub-committee and Co-lead of the Standards Working Group. In these roles he contributes to the development of standards and best practices for AIRR analysis, helping to ensure that the Community continues to advance and grow.

We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Christian Busse on this well-deserved award. His contributions to the AIRR Community have been truly outstanding, and we are honored to recognize him as the first recipient of the AIRR Community Service Award!