PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HIGH-AFFINITY ANTIBODY

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for identifying cells expressing antigen-specific antibodies with a high binding affinity for a monomeric antigen. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, cells expressing high-affinity antigen-specific antibodies are selected from a population of immune cells isolated from a mammal that has been immunized or exposed to the antigen. The nucleic acids encoding the high-affinity antibodies can then be cloned into other lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells where the antibody can be expressed and from which the antibodies can be secreted.