What is "streptamer"

The Streptamer technology allows the reversible isolation and staining of antigen-specific T cells. This technology combines a current T cell isolation method with the Strep-tag technology. In principle, the T cells are separated by establishing a specific interaction between the T cell of interest and a molecule that is conjugated to a marker, which enables the isolation. The reversibility of this interaction and the fact that it is performed at low temperatures is the reason for the successful isolation and characterization of functional T cells. Because T cells remain phenotypically and functionally indistinguishable from untreated cells, this method offers new strategies in clinical and basic T cell research.