The next generation of biopanning: next gen sequencing improves analysis of bacterial display libraries

摘要

Natural selection has resulted in elegant solutions to the pressures that organisms face. On a macro scale, examples include the cryptic shape and coloration of stick insects, or the specialized feeding organs of mosquitoes, and microscopically, ligand binding and enzymes. Artificially harnessing the power of natural selection has not only provided useful organisms at a larger scale that have shaped culture and diet (e.g. agricultural varieties of plants and animals), but has also contributed to discovering molecular tools that have influenced disciplines from medicine to materials research. Selection of particular molecular interactions is key to natural and engineered antibody-antigen recognition for diagnostics, new materials, and an understanding of chemical interactions [ – ]. Peptide discovery that exploits artificial selection pressures to shape diverse peptide libraries have led to a wide variety of unique sequences for targeted use [ – ]. Understanding library diversity, how peptide populations evolve during the discovery process, as well as methods to analyze diversification on a deeper scale are important for improving discovery techniques that rapidly produce unique molecules for purpose-driven benefit.