Beta-Lactamase, Antibody Enzymes, and Sequence Space

[Mercer (John Mercer)]

@Agauger

Let me explain. This shouldn’t be hard, since you are all good, knowledgable scientists. The 5 clones they found were reported to have measured levels of activity against a known amount of substrate and phage, but the authors admit themselves this is not quantitative, because they do not know how many Abenz there are per phage, and it varies.

What about the other >5000 papers, Ann?

Do you not realize that I chose this individual paper because its subject is beta-lactamase, but there are plenty of other successful trials?

Do you not realize that I chose this individual paper because they successfully found activity in a nonimmunized library, falsifying your claim that this method requires multiple rounds of selection?

Do you not realize that phage display is a modification of the original scheme?

Do you not remember writing:

@Agauger

That is why experimental tests are important. Can random DNA sequence produce functional proteins with enzymatic activity.

Does the beta-lactamase paper not answer this question “yes, at a frequency of more than 1 in 10^8?”

Does the original Schultz paper not address the criticisms you’re brought up regarding the beta-lactamase paper?

Why have you avoided mentioning, and apparently avoided reading, any other catalytic antibody papers?