Patent ID: 7790414
Filing Date: 2010-09-07
Classification: C07K

Abstract:
1. A method of obtaining an antibody that binds an antigen of interest, the method comprising: a) bringing a population of B cells into contact with a series of unit containers with an immobilised capturing agent selected from said antigen or a cell expressing on its surface said antigen, whereby at least some of said B cells are captured; b) separating the captured B cells of step a) from the uncaptured B cells by removing from the unit containers those B cells which do not bind to the antigen while retaining in a bound state those B cells which do bind to the antigen; c) culturing a plurality of the captured B cells in those containers in which they are retained in the presence of the antigen under conditions suitable for clonal expansion of a plurality of captured B cells of step b) wherein said B cells have not been sorted into single B cells immediately prior to culturing; d) screening a plurality of the cultured cells of step c) to identify cells capable of producing an antibody that binds to the antigen of interest; and e) producing from said identified cells the antibody that binds the antigen of interest, by isolating the genes encoding the antibody that binds the antigen of interest, or the variable regions of the antibody that confer upon the antibody the function of binding the antigen of interest, and expressing the genes or a modified version of the genes in a host cell.