Highly sensitive and highly stable VHH antibody screening service
- The advantages of VHH antibodies in diagnostic drug development
- Service details and flow
- FAQ
- Contact Us
Are you struggling with insufficient antibody stability or high manufacturing costs in the development of in vitro diagnostic drugs and POCT (Point-of-Cognitive Testing) kits? EME's VHH antibodies offer high resistance to heat and pH, as well as access to microepitopes, which were not possible with conventional IgG antibodies. Aiming to improve the accuracy of diagnostic agents, we can also search for the optimal pairing of VHH antibodies and pair them with existing antibodies. We support the development of innovative diagnostic agents using VHH antibodies.
1. The superiority of VHH antibodies in diagnostic drug development
"Improved diagnostic accuracy" due to high stability and superior recognition capabilities.
Due to its small molecular weight and robust structure, it is extremely stable against changes in heat and pH. Because it can bind to recessed gaps in targets that conventional antibodies cannot reach, it can detect trace amounts of biomarkers and pathogens with high precision.
Flexible and speedy "construction of the optimal antibody pair"
We can also perform screening that incorporates the condition of "optimal antibody combinations," which are essential for diagnostic agents (such as immunochromatography). We can flexibly handle not only cross-pairing of new VHH antibodies but also cross-pairing with antibodies (such as IgG) that you already possess.
Rapid diagnostic drug development through in vitro selection.
Our unique cDNA display technology, which does not rely on animal immunity, enables the rapid acquisition of target antibodies. This allows us to support the swift delivery of highly accurate diagnostic reagents to the market, even in situations requiring urgency and speed, such as during outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases.
"Cost reduction and mass production" using microbial expression systems
VHH, with its simple structure, can be efficiently mass-produced using inexpensive microbial expression systems such as E. coli and yeast. It also exhibits minimal lot-to-lot variability, significantly reducing the manufacturing cost of diagnostic reagents compared to conventional antibodies using mammalian cells.
2. Service Details and Basic Package Flow
By applying the VHH antibody screening platform "The Month," we can rapidly obtain candidate VHH antibodies that bind to target proteins provided by our customers.
- Step 1 screening 3 weeks
- Step 2 VHH Sequence Analysis 1 weeks
- Step 3 VHH expression and purification 2 weeks
- Step 4 Affinity evaluation 1 weeks
Optional service
In addition to the basic package, we offer a variety of options tailored to your development objectives.
- Pairing consideration
- Appropriate evaluation (sandwich ELISA, immunochromatography, etc.)
- Optimization and increased sensitivity of VHH antibodies for test kits
- Thermal stability/aggregation properties evaluation
- Providing tangible items
- Transfer of antibody sequence rights
3. Deliverables
Upon completion of screening and evaluation, we will deliver the following deliverables and reports. We will provide a high-quality dataset to ensure a smooth transition to the next phase of development.
- VHH antibody sample for evaluation
- We can provide purified VHH antibodies (several hundred µg to several mg). You can immediately construct assay systems and perform functional evaluation tests at your location.
- Evaluation data
- We will submit an analysis report of the binding affinity, thermal stability, and various suitability evaluations of the VHH antibody. This allows for rapid decision-making by providing objective numerical data on affinity and specificity.
- VHH antibody sequence information
- We will deliver the antibody sequence data of the hit clones obtained through screening. This data can be used directly for patent applications or for additional engineering in-house.
We offer flexible contract options for the screening process and deliverable selection to suit your budget, so please feel free to contact us for more information.
4. Frequently Asked Questions
- We are considering replacing our diagnostic reagents with VHH to lower manufacturing costs, but is mass production easy?VHH can be easily and inexpensively mass-produced using microbial expression systems such as E. coli. Compared to conventional antibodies that require mammalian cell culture, it significantly reduces manufacturing costs and time, making it extremely effective in reducing the cost of in vitro diagnostic medical devices.
- Is it possible to achieve sensitivity comparable to or greater than existing IgG antibodies?Yes, it is possible. While VHH exhibits different properties from IgG as a monomer, highly sensitive diagnostic systems can be constructed through molecular design such as polyvalentization, Fc fusion, and optimal pair selection. We will propose the most suitable format for your application.
- Is it possible to obtain antibodies for ELISA and lateral flow diagnostics?We also offer services for obtaining and evaluating antibody pairs suitable for diagnostic purposes, such as sandwich ELISA and immunochromatography.
5. Inquiries and requests for materials
EME does not consider antibody acquisition to be the ultimate goal.
With a focus on the sensitivity, specificity, and measurement performance required for diagnostic agents, we aim to create antibodies that maximize the value of biomarkers, and we support our customers' research and development from the basic research stage to diagnostic agent development.