Antibody Structure Determination

The process of using analytical methods to solve a molecule's or biomolecule's three-dimensional atomic coordinates is known as antibody structure determination. Antibody structure is determined using a range of techniques, including density maps from cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and more. With years of expertise in antibody engineering, Creative Biolabs provides clients with top-notch services for determining antibody structures, advancing both antibody design and drug development.

A method for extracting a crystal's three-dimensional molecular structure is called X-ray crystallography. The highly concentrated, purified material must first crystallize before being subjected to an x-ray beam. After that, the diffraction patterns are examined further to extract details regarding the symmetry of the crystal packing and the dimensions of the repeating unit that makes up the crystal. The diffraction spot pattern provides this information. The "structure factors" can then be measured using the spot intensities, allowing for the calculation of an electron density map. Until this map is clear enough to allow for the construction of the molecular structure using the protein sequence, a variety of techniques can be employed to improve its quality. Ultimately, the resultant structure is improved to more closely match the map and take on a shape that is preferred by thermodynamics.