9^th European Immunology Conference associated with Antibody Engineering Meeting

There is a continual need in biomedical research for reliable binding molecules that recognize cellular targets with high affinity and specificity. Single-domain antibodies - referred to as nanobodies - have emerged as an attractive alternative to traditional antibodies and became highly valuable tools for numerous bio-analytical and biotechnical applications. Recently we have identified novel nanobodies for protein purification, protein-protein interaction analysis, crystallization studies and mass spectrometry approaches. For in cellulo studies we developed a novel format of intracellular functional nanobodies (chromobodies) to target and trace endogenous components in living cells. In combination with high-throughput microscopy and automated image analysis we applied chromobodies as intracellular biosensors for phenotypic screening and high content imaging (HCI) in real time. To date chromobody-based cellular models have been established to monitor cell cycle, signal transduction or to trace epithelial mesenchymal transition upon compound treatment within living cells. Due to their extraordinary properties nano- and chromobodies are versatile binding molecules offering a unique opportunity to combine biochemical, microscopic and functional analyses of cellular targets in flexible settings.