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Now that you understand the what and why of binding affinity, it's time to discuss when it comes into play in the re-
search workflow. Primarily, when you are interested in finding out if two molecules interact in a pathway or process
of interest, you use binding affinity assays to see how they interact or bind to each other.
You can also measure binding affinity when modifying
a molecule as a way to see how changing its binding
properties relates to the pathway or process you are
studying. Binding affinity is also useful when you need
to develop a functional assay to monitor a pathway,
as you may need to measure binding as part of the assay.
Academic researchers typically want to understand
the biology and regulation of a target molecule that
may or may not have any therapeutic potential. For
example, to understand a molecular pathway, it is
important to be able to selectively modify molecules
and quantitatively determine how these modifications
influence the overall pathway.
Precisely characterizing biomolecular interactions in a biological
system is an important cornerstone in basic research.
MEASURING BINDING AFFINITY IS USEFUL FOR:
• Characterizing receptor binding properties
• Measuring interactions with antibodies
• Analyzing protein complexes
• Investigating enzyme inhibition
• Observing molecular transport processes
• Mapping epitopes
• Optimizing leads
• Pursuing fragment-based lead discovery
• Measuring the effects of buffers, solutions, and concentration
on binding affinity
When do researchers
measure binding affinity?
