Traditional SELEX-based aptamer development requires multiple rounds of amplification that result in PCR bias. This bias means that when you get ten candidates from a SELEX process, it’s likely that all ten of those candidates are highly similar in their chemical structure. This lack of diversity has big implications from an intellectual property standpoint.

Raptamers™ are different. Using our proprietary selection process, we generate a much wider diversity of candidates than SELEX. This difference is important when you’re engaged in a diagnostic or drug development process; binding affinity, after all, is only part of the equation in any commercial product. The other factors–stability, pharmacokinetics, half-life, binding site, and so on–are often more important, so it’s beneficial to have a wide range of options early in the process. Eliminating PCR bias is one critical step toward that kind of optionality and make Raptamers™ the ideal solution for developing nucleotide-based commercial products.

When we perform a selection using our proprietary process, the results generally have amino acid functional groups and backbone modifications that improve target interaction and increase nuclease resistance. These features give Raptamers™ the ability to bind a pseudo protein-protein interactions (i.e. more like antibodies), making them a better option for commercial drug and diagnostic development programs. Raptamers™ improve upon antibodies in terms of cost, development time, discovery method, storage conditions, and shelf-life.

Because of our proprietary selection process, Raptamers™ are generated with a diverse range of functional groups: indole, phenol, amine, methylene blue, fluorscent dyes, APIs, and so on. Our existing libraries were designed by highly experienced medicinal chemists to generate useful diversity, not just random diversity for the sake of diversity.

But that doesn’t mean we’ve thought of everything; if there is a particular type of functionality you want built into your Raptamer™, give us a call. We may be able to build you a custom library that generates candidates more closely attuned to your particular needs. Talk to one of our scientist to get more information.