The use of antibody conjugates for biomedical applications has garnered increased attention due to the ability of antibodies to specifically engage targets of interest. Despite these appealing qualities, the preparation of antibody-protein conjugates remains challenging. Here we detail an approach to attaching targeting antibodies to proteins of interest that combines advances in genetic code expansion and an efficient bioconjugation strategy. As an example, we prepare bacteriophage MS2 viral capsids bearing antibodies on their surfaces for applications in molecular targeting. This technique provides a modular framework to easily prepare antibody-MS2 conjugates in an efficient manner, even at low concentrations of the reacting biomolecules.
Keywords: Antibodies; Bacteriophage MS2; Bioconjugation; Genetic code expansion; Noncanonical amino acids; Oxidative coupling; p-aminophenylalanine.