European Funds

Development of the Specitope technology for bioinformatics-based prediction of B-cell-specific epitopes, enabling the 'in silico' identification of candidates for therapeutic antibodies.

The company NaturalAntibody Spółka Akcyjna has received a grant from the European Union for the project titled "Development of the Specitope technology for bioinformatics-based prediction of B-cell-specific epitopes, enabling the 'in silico' identification of candidates for therapeutic antibodies." The aim of the project is to create the Specitope technology for in silico prediction of epitopes (molecular surfaces on antigens) that specific antibodies can bind to. This technology is intended to introduce a new market service, focused on computer-based epitope prediction, ultimately identifying antibodies that are potential drug candidates. The service optimizes laboratory processes by reducing the time and the number of antibodies that need to be experimentally tested. The outcome of the project will be the AI-based Specitope technology, allowing for the identification of epitopes (surfaces on antigens) that specific antibodies bind to (also known as B Cell Epitope Prediction). The developed technology will facilitate the introduction of a new market service for identifying, via in silico methods, candidates for therapeutic antibodies tailored to specific epitopes. Task 1 pertains to the creation of a database of antibody-epitope bindings. Task 2 involves developing a model to predict the epitope that a given antibody will bind to. Task 3 includes testing the Specitope technology within a research group. Task 4 plans for the purchase of fixed assets as part of implementing the R&D results into the company's operations, enabling the launch of services based on the innovative solution. The primary target audience for the project's results includes companies working on antibody-based drugs, such as pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies developing drug candidates, research institutes advancing drug candidates, and biotechnology firms offering antibody research services (e.g., CROs). Project value: PLN 13,080,847.92 EU Funds contribution: PLN 9,705,539.05 #FunduszeUE #FunduszeEuropejskie