During her PhD studies, Nathalie Wyss researched how antibodies – the police molecules in our body – bind to their targets. Antibodies are Y-shaped particles that have the specialty to bind to potential threats e.g. pathogens with both arms simultaneously. This can immensely enhance their potential to clear out the foreign intruder. Nathalie Wyss studied how we can exactly measure the strong binding of antibodies and what looks it takes for the antibody but also the intruder to be efficiently detected.

The new findings contribute to the understanding of how antibodies can be improved to generate even better antibody formats as drugs against diseases.

The PhD study was completed at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University & the Department of Structure and Interaction Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Friday 27^th of October at 13.00.
Place: Molecular biology and Genetics (MBG), Nucleus auditorium, 1871-120, Aarhus University,
Title of PhD thesis: Avidity and multivalent target engagement in antibodies
Contact information: Nathalie Wyss, e-mail: nathiboll@hotmail.com, tel.: +45 52244214

Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Peter Kristensen, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, University of Aalborg, DK,

Professor Björn Högberg, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Sweden

Associate Professor, Pia Møller Martensen (chair), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Aarhus University, Denmark

Main supervisor:
Associate Professor Magnus Kjærgaard, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, & Principal Scientist Charlotte Wiberg, Department of Structure and Interaction, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark

Co-supervisor:
Scientific Director Jesper Ferkinghoff-Borg, Department of Machine Intelligence, Novo Nordisk A/S, DK

Principal Scientist Søren Lund, Department of Antibody Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, DK

Research Project Vice President Nikolaj Kulahin Roed, Global Project Management, Novo Nordisk A/S, DK

Professor Gregers Rom Andersen, Department of Molecular Biologz and Genetics Aarhus University, Denmark

Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS, Jens Baggesens Vej 53, building 5221, 8200 Aarhus N.