Smart E.coli for B Cells Capture

Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins secreted by B lymphocytes that specifically recognize and neutralize antigens. Since the first monoclonal antibody was produced by hybridoma technology in 1975, it has become an important tool in both research and health care.

Here we developed a smart E.coli system for capturing B lymphocytes by utilizing the high affinity interaction between antigen and antibody. A peptide fused with RSA and GFP is expressed and purified as antigens for immunization and Elisa assay respectively, and this target peptide and an affinity tag are co-expressed on the surface of E.coli. Coupled with anti-tag magnetic beads, it can be used to screen and capture the desired B cells that secret the corresponding antibodies. These B cells can be fused or gene cloned for antibody producing. This system can also be applied to many aspects of enormous value, such as vaccine production and immune T-cell or tumor cell separation.