The creation of catalytic antibodies involves several steps:
Design of a Transition State Analog: The first step is to design a molecule that closely resembles the transition state of the reaction of interest. This analog acts as a hapten to elicit an immune response. Immunization: Animals are immunized with the transition state analog. The immune system produces antibodies that bind tightly to the transition state analog. Screening and Selection: The antibodies produced are screened for their ability to catalyze the desired reaction. This step often involves high-throughput screening techniques. Optimization: The selected antibodies may undergo further optimization through techniques like site-directed mutagenesis to enhance their catalytic efficiency and stability.
