Phage display is a powerful technique in the identification of ligands for various targets. Panning of phage display libraries has two essential processes: the selection step and amplification step. In general, a naive phage library can be narrowed to a subpopulation of binders with target-specific affinity after several rounds of panning. Then ligands of the target could be obtained through sequencing a limited number of clones.
In silico phage display (ISPD)
Peptide libraries can be constructed in silico. Phage display screenings can be simulated in silico using machine learning methods. Integrating in silico phage libraries and virtual panning programs, the system of in silico phage display (ISPD) can be implemented. It highlights that the trend of the phage display technology has expanded from in vitro, in vivo and now to in silico and on line.
The ISPD suit
The iLib or iPLib tool in the ISPD suit is designed to generate a peptide library with specific amino acid composition. The iPan tool in the ISPD suite is a virtual panning program that can be used to foretell if phages bearing your peptides might bind to a given target. This tool was developed on the basis of an ensemble model trained by Support Vector Machines (SVM) using optimized dipeptide composition (ODPC).
