Pilot scale production and purification of chicken polyclonal antibodies from egg yolks

• Grant number: 05/00705-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2007
• End date: October 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Sandro Gomes Soares
• Grantee: Sandro Gomes Soares
• Company: Invent Biotecnologia Ltda. - ME
• Associated researchers: Bergson Fogaça de Oliveira

Abstract

The antibodies are important tool used in both biomedicine and biotechnology areas due its ability of bind to antigens with specificity and affinity. Antibodies-related assays represent 30% of 10 billion dollars of diagnostic industries profit. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are more used, although it has disadvantages as production costs and animal stress during bleeding. Chicken polyclonal antibodies are efficient non-evasive alternative and low costs in view of that IgY, chicken immunoglobulin IgG-like, is concentrated in egg yolk. However, it is necessary develop a purification approach of scale up antibodies to commercial use. The aim of this project is standardize the approach of egg yolks antibodies purification, using chromatograph techniques and uniting efficiency of production with low cost. Lowing costs, we will can produce polyclonal antibodies to diagnostic kits with competitive price in relation to similar imported kits, besides to possibility its use in therapeutics and prophylactics uniting new technologies used in pharmaceutical industries. (AU)