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Custom Single-Domain Antibody Discovery Services FAQ

Fortis Life Sciences® offers custom single-domain antibody discovery services through our brand Abcore™. Single-domain antibodies overcome many of the challenges presented by conventional antibodies in biopharma and therapeutics. Our custom single-domain antibody services are vertically integrated and can be adapted to meet your individual needs.

  • We have 100% control over our single-domain antibody discovery process. We are vertically integrated from project consultation to final product deliverable. Our single-domain antibody discovery process uses unique PCR primers to generate a large number of independent clones. Throughout the project, you will have direct access to a dedicated project manager and single-domain antibody scientists who will keep you updated about project progress and are available to answer your questions. Contact us if you have questions regarding our single-domain antibody discovery service.

  • Single-domain antibodies are recombinantly expressed antigen-binding fragments that are derived from the variable heavy domain (VHH) of camelid heavy chain antibodies. These antibodies are found in camelids (VHH genes), sharks (variable new antigen receptor, VNAR genes) and shark-like fish. At Abcore, we generate single-domain antibodies from immunized llamas and alpacas.

  • Single-domain antibodies are 15kDa in molecular weight with dimensions of approximately 2.5nm in diameter and 4nm in height. Single-domain antibodies are 10 times smaller than conventional antibodies, which are 150kDa in molecular weight.

  • At Abcore, we work with you to make sure our final deliverables meet your needs. We offer many options for deliverables based on your project needs and budget. Please contact us to discuss details of your project.

  • If you choose single-domain antibody sequences as your final deliverable, it will take 5-6 months, or roughly 24 weeks, including the immunization process.

  • We have successfully immunized animals with proteins, peptides, DNA, cell lines, small molecules and virus-like particles to generate unique single-domain antibody sequences.

  • Antigen amount varies depending on the immunogen type and the number of animals being immunized. We consult with our customers and recommend immunogen type to ensure project success. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about our custom single-domain antibody discovery service.

  • No. We provide a single-domain antibody discovery service. We provide research use only final deliverables, but we offer consultation on single-domain antibody sequence selection toward specific diagnostic or therapeutic objectives.