Boris B. Dzantiev Professor, Dr. Sci. (Chemistry) Head of  Laboratory INBI,  build. 1, room 225   +7 (495) 954-31-42  dzantiev@inbi.ras.ru

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Keywords: immune complexes, kinetics of intermolecular interactions, specificity of immunochemical reactions, nanoparticles, immobilized proteins, immunoassay, immunochromatography, out-of-lab diagnostics, diagnostic test systems, control of quality and safety of food, feed, and water.

Research directions

• Study of the quantitative regularities of immune complexes formation
• Structural basis of interactions with bioreceptors (antibodies, aptamers)
• Interaction of nanoparticles with biomolecules
• Kinetic regularities of bioanalytical systems functioning
• Biosensor systems
• Development of new methods for immunodetection of biologically active compounds
• Development of registration tools for bio- and immunochemical analytical systems
• Development of systems for molecular genetic out-of-lab diagnostics
• Quality and safety control of food, feed, and water
• Security of nanotechnology products
• Scalable production technologies for bioanalytical systems

Basic research methods

As part of fundamental and applied research, the laboratory implements a full cycle of developing immunoanalytical methods – from obtaining receptor systems to creating industrial technology. This cycle includes both traditional and special methods and approaches (including those developed in the laboratory).

Fundamental research methods

• mathematical modeling of the formation of immune complexes with different composition and valency
• characterization of immune complexes compositions by methods of dynamic light scattering, field flow fractionation, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy
• quantitative characterization of immunochemical interactions using registration of surface plasmon resonance, and atomic force spectroscopy
• Registration of immune complex formation based on Raman spectroscopy

Methods for obtaining specific reagents

• obtaining, stabilizing, and characterization of various carriers and marker systems for immunochromatography
• obtaining and characterization of the composition and reactivity of intermolecular conjugates of protein carriers and derivatives of antigens
• conjugation of immunoreagents with polymer carriers

Detection systems

• microplate rapid analysis with enzyme and fluorescent markers
• fluorescence polarization immunoassay
• quantitative membrane (immunofiltration and immunochromatographic) analysis with colorimetric and fluorimetric detection
• systems of molecular genetic diagnostics, combining the processes of isothermal amplification and immunochromatography

A brief history of the laboratory

The Laboratory was established in 1988 as a result of the reorganization of the Laboratory of engineering enzymology. Professor Boris B. Dzantiev is the head of the laboratory since its foundation. Since 2019, the laboratory is part of the Department of Ligand-Receptor Interactions and Biosensorics. The head of the department is prof. B.B. Dzantiev.

2. ACHIEVEMENTS

The influence of the immunoreagents’ properties on the kinetic and equilibrium parameters of the antigen-antibody reaction is studied. Models of the formation of immune complexes are developed. Structural changes in protein antigens when interacting with antibodies and other receptors (aptamers, lectins) are investigated. Compounds that are important for medical diagnostics, quality control of agricultural products and foodstuffs, and environmental monitoring are used as model antigens in the immunochemical processes.

Pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, mycotoxins, psychoactive compounds, surfactants, immunoglobulins, cardio markers and markers of inflammatory processes, microbial cells, plant viruses, phycotoxins, heavy metals, etc. are among the studied objects. This panel of analytes allows for the determination of the general patterns and specific features of immunochemical interactions. For the detection of these compounds, new assay formats and marker systems have been proposed that provide an increase in the sensitivity and rapidity of the determination.

The effectiveness of new methods for solving practical problems is characterized, and traditional and new methods of analysis are compared.

Together with manufacturers, technologies for the serial production of immunoanalytical test systems are being developed.

The following results are obtained:

• Mathematical models are proposed to describe the multi-stage interaction of antibodies with various classes of polyvalent antigens
• The influence of the surface density of antigenic determinants on the formation of mono- and bivalent complexes with antibodies and the change in the effective binding constant was analyzed
• Theoretical descriptions of immune interactions during various flow immunoassay formats are proposed
• On the example of antibodies against pesticides (triazines, aryl- and sulfonylurea, pyrethroids) and veterinary drugs (fluoroquinolones), the fine specificity of the antibody-hapten interaction was studied. QSAR approaches have been implemented to identify key structures in immune recognition. Systems for individual and class-specific assays have been proposed
• Antibodies against C₆₀ fullerene were obtained and characterized. The patterns of immune recognition of an atypical antigen were described
• Oligonucleotide receptors and aptamers have been characterized as alternative bioanalytical reagents. Approaches to increasing the sensitivity of homogeneous tests with their use are proposed
• The interaction of gold nanoparticles with antibodies including the formation of mono- and multilayers has been studied. The requirements for obtaining complexes with maximum immunoreactivity are formulated
• Techniques for out-of-laboratory rapid test systems with visual and instrumental registration for medical diagnostics (determination of hormones, narcotic drugs, biomarkers of acute myocardial infarction, specific antibodies, and pathogenic microorganisms), environmental monitoring and control of agricultural products and food products (determination of pesticides, mycotoxins, phycotoxins, heavy metals, veterinary drugs, and plant viruses) are developed
• A set of criteria for optimizing immunochromatographic test systems is developed; approaches to amplify the signals and increase the sensitivity of these systems are proposed and patented
• Together with small innovative enterprises, the production of immunochromatographic tests was organized. The development was awarded the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in 2010 in the field of science and technology
• Development and testing of methods for assessing the biological effect and safety of engineered nanoparticles and nanoindustry products were carried out. The localization of nanoparticles in animal organisms under different exposure regimes and the effects of nanoparticles on the biochemical parameters were studied. With the participation of the laboratory personnel, 36 nanobiosafety guidelines were prepared and further approved by Rospotrebnadzor
• 5 national standards of the Russian Federation in the field of nanosafety were developed

Research prospects:

• The influence of the non-equilibrium mode of immunochemical interactions on the analytical characteristics of heterogeneous immunoassay methods will be elucidated
• The composition of immune complexes formed in various detection systems for low and high-molecular-weight antigens will be characterized
• The spatial structure of antibodies against carbon nanoparticles and the formed immune complexes will be characterized
• New systems for multiparametric detection of biologically active compounds of high selectivity and rapidity will be developed including those with fluorescent markers of different spectral characteristics
• Rapid methods for diagnosing socially significant diseases of humans and farm animals will be created

3. UNIQUE EQUIPMENT