Patent ID: 11913939
Assignee: AMBERSTONE BIOSCIENCES, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B  C | IPC B  G

Claim 4:
5. A method for performing assays in compartmentalized nano-volumes to screen for functional bispecific or multispecific biologics, comprising:
(a) obtaining a plurality of at least two distinct types of cells, wherein a first-type of cells are engineered to express a single genetic-variant per cell of a bispecific or multispecific biologic in a secreted form, and wherein a second-type of cells are selected or engineered to produce a positive reporter molecule signal that is triggered by a functional variant of the bispecific or multispecific biologic expressed from the single genetic-variant by the first-type cell, wherein the bispecific or multispecific biologic comprises:
(i) a first target-binding moiety configured to bind to a target molecule on either the first type of cells or the second type of cells, and
(ii) a second target-binding moiety configured to bind to:
(1) a target molecule on the second type of cells if the first target-binding moiety is configured to bind to the first type of cells; or
(2) a target molecule on the first type of cells if the first target-binding moiety is configured to bind to the second type of cells;

(b) co-encapsulating into each of a plurality of compartmentalized nano-volumes only one cell of the first-type cell and one or more cell(s) of the second-type cell;
(c) incubating the nano-volumes over a period of time sufficient to allow the expression and secretion of the bispecific or multispecific biologic and binding of the bispecific or multispecific biologic to the first type of cell and to one of the second type cell, wherein binding to both cell types is required to induce expression of the positive reporter molecule signal inside the nano-volumes;
(d) collecting data representing a positive reporter molecule signal triggered by the secreted bispecific or multispecific biologics inside the nano-volumes,
(e) recovering the first type of cells from the nano-volumes that exhibit a positive reporter molecule signal, and
(f) extracting from the recovered first type of cells genetic information representing respective functional variants of the bispecific or multispecific biologics.