About Us
Macrotope draws upon a wealth of experience in designing antigens over the past decade. As part of the Anderson Lab at Rutgers University, we supplied over 1000 unique mammalian protein antigens in multiple formats to the NIH Common Fund's Protein Capture Reagents Program and the NIH BRAIN Initiative. Through this effort, we adapted bioinformatics tools initially designed for large-scale protein structure determination (utilized by the NorthEast Structural Genomics Consortium - NESG) to address the challenges of large-scale antigen production. We have continuously refined our protocols and algorithms based on our internal data and feedback from partner antibody production labs to construct a robust antigen design and production pipeline capable of producing stable, well-folded protein antigens that are both optimized for manufacturability and are also highly immunogenic.
Our Approach
At Macrotope, we take an antigen-centric approach to immunology. In other words, we believe that careful antigen construct design is the key to success in vaccine and therapeutic antibody discovery projects. By applying our strong background in protein biochemistry, protein engineering, and large-scale protein production, we take a fundamentally different approach to antigen construct design. This philosophy has led to the development of a scalable, high-throughput pipeline for antigen production. Furthermore, we continuously refine our design algorithm to enhance antigen manufacturability and boost immunogenicity.
MacroAntigen™ Platform Technology
Proteins are often depicted as rigid, static structures, but they are actually quite dynamic. These motions play a critical role in protein function, enzymatic activity, and protein interactions. Additionally, these conformational dynamics are instrumental in shaping how the immune system recognizes, processes, and responds to a given antigen. Macrotope’s MacroAntigen platform allows us to tune the conformational dynamics of a protein antigen to provide optimal induction of the adaptive immune response. The result is increased immunogenicity and engagement of a broader repertoire of naive B-cells leading to increased antibody sequence diversity and epitope coverage. This means a larger library of high-quality antibodies to select from, enhancing the probability of discovering antibodies with favorable characteristics.
Advancing the Next-Generation of Vaccines
Using Macrotope's patented MacroAntigen™ platform technology, we engineer antigen conformational dynamics to promote increased immunogenicity and a broadened immune response. These MacroAntigen Vaccines (MAVs™) display altered "breathing modes" while maintaining the same time-averaged 3D structure of the native target antigen, thereby stimulating a more diverse group of naive B-cells and providing a richer diversity of antigen derived peptides for display by APCs. Combined with our "Design for Manufacturability" philosophy, MAVs provide a fast and efficient route to discovering effective vaccines.
Vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses
Macrotope is actively developing multiple vaccine candidates to offer long-lasting protection against SARS-CoV-2, its evolving variants, and related coronaviruses. Our vaccine candidates exhibit significant potential in animal models, showcasing strong immunogenicity, sustained efficacy, and broad cross-protection. Moreover, these vaccines have been meticulously engineered to be cost-effective and easy to manufacture, utilizing well-established and widely accessible technologies for global deployment.
Therapeutic Antibody Discovery
Macrotope's MacroAntigen™ technology supercharges antibody discovery projects. Our carefully engineered MAVs increase engagement of naive B-cells and generate a significantly more diverse starting library for antibody selection. MAVs can be further customized to increase epitope coverage on the target antigen, focus the response on desired epitopes, and enrich for antibodies with desired properties.
Team
Stephen Anderson
Co-founder Chief Executive Officer steve at macrotope.com
Elliot Campbell
Co-founder Chief Science Officer elliot at macrotope.comContact Us
Feel free to get in touch if you're interested in exploring a partnership.
We welcome inquiries and would love to connect with those seeking an experienced collaborator in antigen design.