Sujata Pandit: Isolation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies

Sujata PanditTitle

Isolation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies

Mentor

Sujata Pandit, Ph.D.

Department

Microbiology and Immunology

Biosketch

Sujata Pandit, Ph.D., completed her doctoral in philosophy of education at South Florida University in 2002 and is currently a research assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is the director of the Hybridoma Laboratory at the University’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and has worked in the field since 2013. She has 12 years of experience in developing of high-affinity monoclonal antibody libraries for development of diagnostic immunoassays for bacterial and viral disease-causing pathogens. She is responsible for affinity purification, quality control, and characterization of developed monoclonal antibodies and has mentored and trained many high school, undergraduate and graduate students over the years in various experimental techniques including cell culture, hybridoma development, and animal training.

Project overview

The Pack Research Experience Program (PREP) student will be trained in aseptic techniques so that they will be able to work in tissue culture without contamination. They will learn how to check on cell health using microscopy and staining and how to maintain and keep cells healthy in culture. They will learn the process of monoclonal antibody (antibody produced in the laboratory from a cell lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell) isolation and the steps involved. the isolated antibodies will be useful in developing diagnostic tests for certain bacterial and fungal infections in humans and animals. Students will learn ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technique which uses the cell culture supernatant to identify cells that are generating/producing antibody of interest. They will also learn to run SDS-PAGE (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis) to check purity of antibodies by separating proteins based on their size.

Pack Research Experience Program information and application