Exploring sensitivity & throughput of a parallel flow SPRi biosensor for characterization of antibody-antigen interaction

Rapid growth in the field of biotherapeutics has led to an increased demand for high-throughput, label-free biosensors exhibiting high sensitivity. To support the current needs, Sierra Sensors introduced a surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) based biosensor, Molecular Affinity Screening System (MASS-1). We assessed the potential utility of MASS-1 to support Regeneron's therapeutic antibody discovery. A large panel of antibody-antigen interactions was characterized using MASS-1 and the kinetic data were compared with the Biacore 4000 biosensor. Less than 10% deviation in the binding rate constants measured across eight flow channels of MASS-1 was observed. The single injection cycle kinetic assay allowed rapid measurement of binding rate constants for antibody-antigen interactions. MASS-1 sensitivity was independent of protein immobilization level and kinetic analysis performed using ultra-low density mAb surfaces allowed characterization of picomolar affinity interactions without mass transport limitation. High-throughput characterization of a panel of 189 monoclonal antibodies to 13 different antigens with molecular weights ranging from 14kD to 105kD revealed that binding kinetic parameters measured on MASS-1 were comparable to those measured on Biacore 4000. Our data demonstrate that MASS-1 measures reliable binding kinetic parameters and has an appropriate combination of throughput and sensitivity to support discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies.