Growing up in the golden age of protein chemistry

BoTx research during the period 1943 to 1956 resulted in refinements in the techniques for isolating and purifying the crystalline BoTx type A. These results led to the development and manufacture of a toxoid vaccine that was available in a sufficient quantity to protect ~300,000 warfighters in a large-scale military operation. One of the most important long-term consequences derived from the knowledge gained by the efforts at Camp Detrick was the development in the 1980s of safe and effective therapeutic uses for BoTx type A, the most lethal biological substance known.

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How Technical Advances Changed the Concept of Antibodies

Swiatczak,

Greslehner,

Zach

2024

Immunological Reviews

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Shaped by advances in scientific instrumentation and experimental techniques, the concept of antibody has undergone profound transformations throughout the history of immunology. Serological assays, separation techniques, protein fragmentation techniques, molecular biology techniques, and other methodological innovations did not only serve to produce data on the structure and function of these molecules but, by framing antibodies into a unique facet of experimental investigation, were effectively redefining and reconceptualizing these molecules for the scientific community. The characteristics and properties of antibodies observed in experimental settings were often directly extrapolated to their presumed nature in living organisms, as exemplified by the literal identification of antibodies with a gamma electrophoretic fraction in the 1930s. Stemming from parallel advances in related fields such as molecular biology and biochemistry, the introduction of novel techniques was driving shifts in the field of immunology, establishing novel frameworks of theoretical conceptualization and understanding. Technological innovation in experimental techniques continues to shape our view of these molecules, driving progress in both basic immunology and therapeutic applications.

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Growing up in the golden age of protein chemistry

Cited by 3 publications

References 14 publications

Biochemical Defense Mechanisms

Biochemical Defense Mechanisms

Yesterday and Today: The Impact of Research Conducted at Camp Detrick on Botulinum Toxin

How Technical Advances Changed the Concept of Antibodies

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