# Array Based Affinity Selection

> **NIH NIH R41** · TANGO BIOSCIENCES, INC. · 2020 · $183,318

## Abstract

Project Summary
Funds are requested to apply technologies being developed in a current NIGMS award to generate recombinant antibody-like affinity reagents to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As a
proof-of-principle experiment, we have already isolated four fibronectin type III (FN3) monobodies
that bind with low nanomolar affinity to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein. An administrative supplement will permit continuation and expansion of this work to generate
affinity reagents that bind with picomolar affinity and can be used in sensitive, robust diagnostic
assays (homogenous assays, lateral flow assays) for virus particles in saliva. Separately, these
monobodies will be reformatted as bivalent Fc fusions and overexpressed in CHO cells. Such
reagents have the potential to serve as therapeutic agents that lower or block viral entry into patients ACE2-expressing cells.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10163532
- **Project number:** 3R41GM134782-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** TANGO BIOSCIENCES, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** BRIAN KENNETH KAY
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $183,318
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10163532

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10163532, Array Based Affinity Selection (3R41GM134782-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10163532. Licensed CC0.

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