The mission of the Institute for Protein Innovation is to advance protein science and technology to accelerate biological research and improve human health. Innovation is in our name, and we believe that research, and its subsequent reduction to practice, are key drivers of innovation.
Over the last year, we have focused on innovations like creating new yeast display libraries to enhance the pool of high-quality antibody candidates for any target. We have also introduced novel nanobody scaffolds and libraries for antibody discovery to our repertoire. We have come up with new selection strategies to home in on more selective protein binders. And we are looking at machine learning tools to inform our antibody engineering efforts.
Complex problems require collaboration. Scientists need to share ideas, knowledge and data to arrive at something beyond incremental discoveries. At IPI, we are committed to sharing our ideas, methods and tools not just passively in the literature, but actively via IPI-organized workshops, classes and symposia. We have launched an education program that aims to share our protein science expertise with biomedical researchers more broadly.
We have partnered with Addgene, a nonprofit repository for research materials, to distribute our antibodies and other protein-related tools. We are delighted to report the launch of our first antibody collection, targeted to the integrin family of proteins. This collection is the first of its kind, recognizing specific integrins and, in some cases, blocking their function.
We also developed a set of epitope tag antibodies that give researchers easy and affordable access to a toolset to detect, purify and track proteins that lack more specific antibodies. As part of our commitment to make our tools and models broadly accessible, we are sharing the sequences of our epitope tag antibodies with purchasers, and making the plasmids that encode these tag antibodies readily available.
We have also opened our doors in several other ways. We have set up an antibody validation workshop model, in the spirit of the pioneering human leukocyte differentiation antigen (HLDA) workshops. We share our antibodies in sample quantities with collaborators for testing in their assays. Our partner, Addgene, has created a Data Hub through which validators can share their data with Addgene, IPI and the broader scientific community. We will review this data and, when appropriate, integrate it into our antibody data sheets either directly or along with additional validation data.
We’ve established an initial focus on addressing unmet needs of the neurobiology research community. In response, we created panels of antibodies focusing on axon guidance and synaptic structure. Targets involved in these processes aren’t well represented in commercial antibody collections, and we believe this is a strategic area where we can make a difference. In time, our goal is to create novel protein resources for additional biological areas.
As a nonprofit, IPI can focus on unmet needs and expected impact rather than profit. At the same time, we have to think about various means of sustainability beyond revenue from antibody sales to pursue our mission into the future. We are actively developing a funding model that also includes research grants and other sponsored agreements, along with philanthropy.
We are always looking hard at research challenges where protein reagents and methods can play an active and impactful role. As we identify those gaps, we develop novel resources and make these new tools and services readily available to scientists worldwide.
Writer: Ken Fasman, info@proteininnovation.org
Read IPI’s 2023 annual report here.
About IPI
The Institute for Protein Innovation is pioneering a new approach to scientific discovery and collaboration. As a nonprofit research institute, we provide the biomedical research community with synthetic antibodies and deep protein expertise, empowering scientists to explore fundamental biological processes and pinpoint new targets for therapeutic development. Our mission is to advance protein science to accelerate research and improve human health. For more information, visit proteininnovation.org or follow us on social media, @ipiproteins.