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Discover how PEPperPRINT Peptide Microarray products have been used in different fields of research.

Integrated reiterative pipeline for rapid epitope-based pan-alphavirus vaccines

Versiani, Alice F.; McCaffrey, Peter; Ribeiro-Filho, Helder V.; Silva, Natalia I. O.; Lopes-de-Oliveira, Paulo S.; Carrera, Jean-Paul; Nogueira, Mauricio L.; Marques, Rafael E.; Rossi, Shannan L.; Vasilakis, Nikos
Sci Adv.
Mar 2026
10.1126/sciadv.aeb2066
The vast diversity of the virosphere underscores the need for rapid, adaptable vaccine development infrastructures. Arthropod-borne zoonotic alphaviruses, in particular, continue to pose substantial threats to human and animal health. We present a fast, multitarget vaccine design pipeline integrating machine learning-based epitope prediction, protein modeling, and docking to prioritize viral peptides by immunogenicity, allele coverage, solubility, and stability. T cell epitopes were validated using peptide microarrays and molecular dynamics simulations, confirming receptor binding accuracy. Flow cytometry of murine and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells demonstrated robust T cell activation and cytokine secretion (IFN-γ, TNF-α, or IL-2), dependent on species and HLA allele. Final candidates were selected by composite immunogenicity scores. While this study primarily validates the T cell-specific arm of our predictive pipeline, complementary B cell epitope analyses are ongoing. Our findings support the development of broadly protective pan-alphaviral vaccines and the establishment of efficient, tunable processes for global vaccine development.

A polyclonal antibody based immunoassay detects seven subtypes of Shiga toxin 2 produced by Escherichia coli in human and environmental samples

He, Xiaohua; Patfield, Stephanie; Hnasko, Robert; Rasooly, Reuven; Mandrell, Robert E.
PLoS ONE.
Oct 2013
BACKGROUND: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are frequent causes of severe human diseases ranging from diarrhea to hemolytic uremic syndrome. The existing strategy for detection of STEC relies on the unique sorbitol-negative fermentation property of the O157 strains, the most commonly identified serotype has been E. coli O157. It is becoming increasingly evident, however, that numerous non-O157 STEC serotypes also cause outbreaks and severe illnesses. It is necessary to have new methods that are capable of detecting all STEC strains. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here we describe the development of a sandwich ELISA assay for detecting both O157 and non-O157 STECs by incorporating a novel polyclonal antibody (pAb) against Stx2. The newly established immunoassay was capable of detecting Stx2a spiked in environmental samples with a limit of detection between 10 and 100 pg/mL in soil and between 100 and 500 pg/mL in feces. When applied to 36 bacterial strains isolated from human and environmental samples, this assay detected Stx2 in all strains that were confirmed to be stx2-positive by real-time PCR, demonstrating a 100% sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The sandwich ELISA developed in this study will enable any competent laboratory to identify and characterize Stx2-producing O157 and non-O157 strains in human and environmental samples, resulting in rapid diagnosis and patient care. The results of epitope mapping from this study will be useful for further development of a peptide-based antibody and vaccine.

Optimised ‘on demand’ protein arraying from DNA by cell free expression with the ‘DNA to Protein Array’ (DAPA) technology

Schmidt, Ronny; Cook, Elizabeth A.; Kastelic, Damjana; Taussig, Michael J.; Stoevesandt, Oda
Journal of Proteomics.
Aug 2013
We have previously described a protein arraying process based on cell free expression from DNA template arrays (DNA Array to Protein Array, DAPA). Here, we have investigated the influence of different array support coatings (Ni-NTA, Epoxy, 3D-Epoxy and Polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGMA)). Their optimal combination yields an increased amount of detected protein and an optimised spot morphology on the resulting protein array compared to the previously published protocol. The specificity of protein capture was improved using a tag-specific capture antibody on a protein repellent surface coating. The conditions for protein expression were optimised to yield the maximum amount of protein or the best detection results using specific monoclonal antibodies or a scaffold binder against the expressed targets. The optimised DAPA system was able to increase by threefold the expression of a representative model protein while conserving recognition by a specific antibody. The amount of expressed protein in DAPA was comparable to those of classically spotted protein arrays. Reaction conditions can be tailored to suit the application of interest. Biological significance: DAPA represents a cost effective, easy and convenient way of producing protein arrays on demand. The reported work is expected to facilitate the application of DAPA for personalized medicine and screening purposes.

Purification of High-Complexity Peptide Microarrays by Spatially Resolved Array Transfer to Gold-Coated Membranes

Schirwitz, Christopher; Loeffler, Felix F.; Felgenhauer, Thomas; Stadler, Volker; Nesterov-Mueller, Alexander; Dahint, Reiner; Breitling, Frank; Bischoff, F. Ralf
Adv. Mater..
Mar 2013
A method for the one-step purification of high-complexity peptide microarrays is presented. The entire peptide library is transferred from the synthesis support to a gold coated polyvinylidenfluoride (PVDF) membrane, whereby only full-length peptides covalently couple to the receptor membrane via an N-terminally added cysteine. Highly resolved peptide transfer and purification of up to 10 000 features per cm2 is demonstrated.

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