New synthetic antibodies for circadian research

Did you know that camels and llamas have a unique type of antibody that can be a powerful tool for science? These are nanobodies, tiny, highly stable, single-domain antibodies. Because of their small size, they can be used to manipulate or study the inner workings of cells in ways traditional antibodies cannot.

Our laboratory is fascinated by the circadian clock, the complex internal timekeeper that controls how we interact with the world around us and our health. We believe that nanobodies can help us unlock its secrets.

This PhD project focuses on a new and exciting way to discover nanobodies without needing an animal. Instead of immunizing a llama, we will use a synthetic library of billions of potential nanobody candidates. Using a technique called phage display, we will screen this library to find nanobodies that bind to key components of the circadian clock.

You will be at the forefront of this research. You will start by using an existing library to identify nanobodies that recognize specific clock proteins. Then, you will take the next step: building our own high-quality synthetic library. This will allow us to find even better nanobody binders, some of which may have exciting commercial applications.

This project is a unique opportunity to gain expertise in cutting-edge molecular biology, protein engineering, and translational research.

Techniques that will be undertaken during the project

Molecular biology, cloning, PCR, phage-display, ELISA, isothermal titration calorimetry, mass photometry, gene expression, protein expression and purification, bioinformatics, databases, genetics, immunoassays, confocal microscopy.