In vitro antibody discovery and the potential value of AI: the AIntibody challenge

Please register via: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zqoT1ZaOT_CH1nN5mjFsYg

Webinar Title: In vitro antibody discovery and the potential value of AI: the AIntibody challenge

Abstract: 

The AIntibody competition was launched to benchmark real-world performance, and potential value, of artificial intelligence (AI) models in antibody discovery through a blinded, prospective experimental design. In the inaugural challenge, 29 organizations submitted 527 antibody sequences responding to three tasks focused on RBD, the most studied protein in history: (1) in silico affinity maturation from early round NGS selection outputs, (2) affinity ranking from NGS selection outputs, and (3) de novo generative design of CDRs based on selection outputs. All sequences were expressed as full-length IgGs and experimentally tested for binding affinity using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and developability. The affinities of the highest affinity antibodies were further validated by KinExA. This talk will provide an overview of the NGS data used in the competition and final results of the competition.

Speaker:

Dr. Andrew Bradbury is Chief Scientific Officer of Specifica, an IQVIA business. He trained in medicine at the universities of Oxford and London and received his PhD from the university of Cambridge at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology under the guidance of Nobel Laureate, Cesar Milstein. He practiced medicine for five years in the UK before devoting himself to research.He has worked in the fields of phage and yeast display, library generation and antibody engineering for over thirty-five years. With his team at Specifica he developed a highly functional semi-synthetic antibody library platform in scFv, Fab, constant light chain and VHH formats, quality controlled by next generation sequencing, which routinely delivers highly developable double digit picomolar binders. In a recent Covid campaign this platform generated antibodies more potent than approved antibodies from immune sources. He was cofounder and first president (2007-2010) of The Antibody Society. He has published >180 peer-reviewed articles, including several reviews and perspectives on phage display and antibody engineering.