Alpaka

In the context of the Day of the Laboratory Animal, the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences gives visitors an insight into the alpaca husbandry at the institute. (in German) more

The prize winners have developed an alternative to the most widely used antibodies, which can drastically reduce the number of animals in antibody production. more

Antibodies are indispensable in biological research and medical diagnostics. However, their production is time-consuming, expensive, and requires the use of many animals. Scientists at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, have now developed so-called secondary nanobodies that can replace the most-used antibodies and may drastically reduce the number of animals in antibody production. more

Antibodies serve as tools in research, for example to mark or to isolate proteins. Nanobodies are particularly small antibodies that scientists generate with the help of alpacas and other camelids. They have many advantages but also suffer from drawbacks, for instance when applied in fluorescence microscopy. Researchers headed by Dirk Görlich at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry now developed a method which greatly improves the applicability of nanobodies. more