PRODUCTION AND ANALYTICAL APPLICATIONS OF scFv ANTIBODY FRAGMENTS

Abstract

Polyclonal and monoclonal antibody molecules have had a significant impact in analytical detection systems throughout the last few decades. Recently, the emergence of recombinant antibody technology is also playing a part in diagnostic applications. Recombinant antibody display technology is being exploited to produce antigen binding fragment's (Fab) of an antibody and single chain Fv (scFv) antibodies. These recombinant molecules can be as sensitive and specific as their parent molecules, and can often be produced relatively easy and cheaply. This manuscript will focus on antibody phage display technology, and other novel expression systems for the production of recombinant antibodies. It will also critically examine their applications in different assay formats, residue analysis, and, more recently, their role in proteomics.

Keywords:

• Recombinant antibody technology
• Antigen binding fragment
• Single chain Fv
• Phage display technology

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the European Union through the Fourth Framework (FAIR CT96-1181), Enterprise Ireland (Strategic research grant ST/1998/114) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA).