STREPTAVIDIN (SA) BIOSENSORS

Procurement Summary

The VRC Virology Laboratory comprises the Virology, Humoral Immunology, and Structural Biology Sections and related Cores. The goal of the Virology Laboratory is to conduct research to understand better the cellular and molecular regulation of viral gene expression, viral entry into the host cell, optimization of immune responses to gene-based vaccination and correlates of immune protection, assessment of active and passive approaches for HIV-1 vaccine development, and to apply structural biology techniques toward rational vaccine design for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The Vaccine Research Center is developing vaccines for HIV-1 and other viruses. Currently, SBS/SBIS is working on developing vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. Production of wild-type and mutant viral proteins and anti-viral antibodies is critical in vaccine development. Making specific immunogens as probes is critical to isolate antibodies and develop therapeutic agents. Relevant salient characteristics of the required Anti-human IgG Fc Capture Biosensors are that they provide counting label-free detection, low limit of detection, high output screening, small sample volume for the immobilization of human IgG and other proteins containing the human Fc region for their kinetic analysis. The sensitivity, resolution, linearity, zero drift and full-scale drift, range, repeatability and reproducibility of these required biosensors allow for consistency and integrity in the lab results. These biosensors are used on the Octet BLI system that has an estimated price of $561,900. There are no other manufacturers that offer biosensors compatible to this instrument and an equal product does not exist. The impact if the required biosensors are not acquired is that the lab will not be able to run binding/screening, affinity, and kinetic measurements for protein samples. This will hinder the research progress relating to antibody structural studies, vaccine designs, and antibody improvements.

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