Viruses are obligate parasites that must hijack the host's cellular machinery to survive, replicate, and spread. This hostile takeover relies on a complex, dynamic web of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Identifying the specific host factors that a virus exploits is the key to developing the next generation of antiviral therapies that are less prone to resistance. Our Phage Display Analysis of Virus-Host Interactomes offers a high-throughput, precise solution to uncover these critical molecular interactions. We utilize advanced phage display technology to screen viral proteins against massive human cDNA or peptide libraries, identifying the host partners that facilitate viral entry, replication, and immune evasion.
Fig.1 Antiviral strategies targeting viral-host protein–protein interactions (PPIs).1
This service provides a direct pathway to novel antiviral target discovery, circumventing the limitations of traditional screening methods.
This specialized viral discovery service serves as a powerful extension of our comprehensive Phage Display Protein Interaction Mapping Service, leveraging our core interaction mapping expertise to address the high-stakes field of infectious disease research.
The interaction between a virus and its host is a strategic battle. From the moment of infection, viral proteins engage with host proteins to enter the cell, initiate transcription, and assemble new virions. Mapping these viral-host interactomes is crucial because disrupting these key interactions offers a strategic approach for developing antiviral drugs. Historically, antiviral drug discovery has focused on viral enzymes, including polymerases and proteases. However, viruses mutate rapidly, leading to drug resistance. Targeting host factors—the cellular proteins the virus needs—offers a solution with a higher barrier to resistance. Yet, many of these interactions are transient or involve complex membrane structures that are difficult to study using traditional methods.
Phage display has emerged as a dominant technology for overcoming these hurdles. It enables the presentation of peptides or protein fragments on the surface of a bacteriophage, thereby linking the phenotype to the genotype. This technology has been instrumental in identifying peptides and antibodies that inhibit viral entry and replication for pathogens ranging from Influenza and Hepatitis C to HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Recent studies on COVID-19 PPI networks have identified hundreds of peptides from the human proteome that bind to viral domains, pinpointing potential therapeutic targets that would have been invisible to other screening methods.
We have tailored our platform to address the specific needs of virology research. Whether you are studying a chronic infection or an acute respiratory virus, our services provide the data you need.
This service is designed to find the cellular partners of a viral protein. We screen your viral bait protein against a high-complexity Phage Display cDNA Library derived from relevant human tissues. This unbiased approach allows us to identify the specific host factors that the virus recruits for replication or trafficking.
Blocking the virus before it enters the cell is a gold standard strategy. We use phage display to screen billions of peptides or antibody fragments to find molecules that bind to viral envelope proteins, such as gp120 of HIV or the Spike protein of coronaviruses. These binders can physically block the interaction with cellular receptors, effectively neutralizing the virus.
Many viruses assemble massive protein complexes to copy their genomes. We can map the interactions between viral non-structural proteins and host chaperones or co-factors. Disrupting these intracellular HIV interactions or COVID-19 PPI networks is a potent strategy to stop viral propagation.
By screening against conserved viral domains shared across different strains or even different viruses, we can help you identify pan-antiviral agents. This is particularly valuable for preparing for future outbreaks where specific strain details may not be known immediately.
We follow a rigorous, step-by-step process to ensure the discovery of high-confidence antiviral target candidates.
We begin with a deep-dive consultation with your Ph.D. team to define the scope. Are you looking for HIV targets, mapping an Influenza signaling pathway, or seeking a broad-spectrum inhibitor? We then confirm the quality of your viral bait. Since bacteriophages infect bacteria, we can produce your viral protein domains recombinantly, or you can provide the purified protein. We design the optimal immobilization strategy to ensure the viral epitopes remain exposed and active.
We select the best library for your goal. For mapping host interactions, we use a Phage Display cDNA Library from a relevant host tissue. For finding inhibitors, we typically use a random peptide library. We perform 3-5 rounds of biopanning. In this process, the library is incubated with your viral bait. Phages that bind are captured, while non-binders are washed away. The binders are eluted and amplified, enriching the pool for high-affinity interactors. Click here to learn more about Library Screening & Biopanning.
We do not rely on picking just a few clones. We perform Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) on the enriched phage pools. This allows us to obtain millions of reads, providing a comprehensive quantitative landscape of the binding population. This depth is critical for identifying rare but biologically significant host factors.
Our bioinformatics team analyzes the massive NGS dataset. We utilize advanced algorithms that function as a digital phage finder, translating DNA sequences into proteins and mapping them against the human genome. We perform clustering analysis to identify consensus motifs and rank the hits based on enrichment frequency. This filters out background noise and highlights the true antiviral target candidates.
You receive a complete report detailing the identified COVID-19 PPI, HIV Interaction, or other viral-host connections. The report includes ranked lists of interacting proteins, domain mapping, and sequence data. We can also synthesize the top peptide hits or express the host proteins to validate the interaction using ELISA or Co-Immunoprecipitation.
We leverage cutting-edge platforms to ensure the success of your antiviral discovery project. This robust integrated technology suite supports all our services.
| Platform / Service Name | Application & Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Screening Platforms | In Vitro Protein-Based Phage Display Screening Platform | Ideal for Soluble Targets: Perfect for screening soluble viral enzymes (e.g., polymerases, proteases) or receptor-binding domains (RBDs) to find potent inhibitors. |
| In Vitro Cell-Based Phage Display Screening Platform | Essential for Membrane Proteins: Allows screening against viral proteins expressed on the surface of live cells, maintaining their native conformation for biologically relevant results. | |
| Comprehensive Phage Display Libraries | Phage Display Peptide Library Construction | Inhibitor Discovery: Used for identifying peptide inhibitors or mapping specific viral epitopes. |
| Phage Display Antibody Libraries Construction | Neutralization: A powerful resource for discovering neutralizing antibodies in various formats (scFv, Fab, VHH). | |
| Phage Display Scaffold Library Construction | Alternative Binders: Designed for creating stable, non-antibody protein binders for unique viral targets. | |
| Phage Display cDNA Library Construction | Host Factor Mapping: Enables whole-proteome screening to identify critical host factors involved in viral replication. | |
| Custom Phage Display Library Construction | Tailored Solutions: We can build libraries from specific infected tissues, immune cells, or source species to match your exact research focus. | |
| Enabling Technologies | Phage Display NGS Service | Deep Sequencing: Our high-throughput sequencing pipeline ensures we capture the full diversity of the interactome and identify rare binders. |
The next breakthrough in antiviral therapy is hidden in the complex network of virus-host interactions. Don't let these targets remain undiscovered. Our phage display analysis service provides the high-resolution, high-throughput data you need to identify critical host factors and develop potent inhibitors. today to discuss your viral target and receive a customized project proposal tailored to your needs.
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Please kindly note that our services can only be used to support research purposes (Not for clinical use).
Creative Biolabs is a globally recognized phage company. Creative Biolabs is committed to providing researchers with the most reliable service and the most competitive price.
