Group Leader: Alessandra Fucci (PhD)

Senior advisor: Maria Luisa Nolli (PhD)

Staff:  Assunta Riccio (PhD)

           Egildo Luca D’Andrea (PhD)

           Simona Giacobbe (PhD)

           Ylenia Abruzzese (BSc)

Main activity areas

The laboratory staff has a consolidated experience in the development, production, purification  and characterization of recombinant proteins, antibodies and antibody-derivatives, as well as in the customized  monoclonal antibodies generation through hybridoma technology.

The laboratory activities also include design and validation of immunoassays (ELISA), affinity and binding analyses by SPR, preparation of tech-transfer protocols for biosimilar industrialization, and recombinant enzymes manufacturing.

Main Technologies 

The laboratory has at its disposal multiple host strains and cell lines, as well as a large library of IP-free expression vectors for the production of recombinant proteins and antibodies. 

The laboratory performance is ensured by the design of project-specific and tailored strategies and by the use of cutting-edge tools and methods. Finally, the possibility of using advanced analytical techniques, such as SPR, HPLC and LC-MS/MS, makes possible a complete characterization of the produced bio-molecules.

Main Services

Recombinant Proteins and Antibodies production and characterization

• Gene synthesis, codon optimization and generation of expression vectors
• Expression tests in E. coli, P. pastoris or Mammalian cells
• Expression optimization and definition of purification protocols
• Scale-up of production
• Analysis of quantity, purity and integrity (UV-Vis, SDS-PAGE, HPLC and Western Blot)
• Biochemical characterization (HPLC, LC-MS/MS) and affinity studies (SPR)
• Endotoxin assay and removal
• Labeling/conjugation

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies development 

• Definition of immunization strategies
• Design and production of the antigen (optional)
• Immunization (mice, rats or rabbits) and performance of titration tests
• Generation and screening of hybridomas (only for mAb production)
• Stabilization and banking of hybridomas
• Purification of antibodies (0.1-100 mg)
• Characterization of antibodies (isotyping, SDS-PAGE, ELISA, HPLC, SPR)

Immunoassay development

• Antibody selection and pairing
• Generation of calibration curves for quantitative applications
• Assay optimization, qualification, and analytical validation in different matrices
• Production and supply of custom kits
• Adaptation of existing ELISA methods for use in new applications.