Abstract: Methods of using overlapping peptides for the discovery of discontinuous epitopes, as vaccines, for drug design, for diagnostic purposes and for the elucidation of three-dimensional protein structure. Specifically, these methods can be used to map conformational epitopes using overlapping peptides. The methods are both complete, yet more specific than random phage libraries. They can also be used to develop DNA vaccines which exploit the concept of overlapping peptides in a variety of expression systems. Conformational epitopes prepared with these methods can be used for preparing antibodies, as components of diagnostic tools, and for elucidating three-dimensional protein structure.

Abstract: A method of preparing a bimolecular interaction library for a first biological unit and for a second biological unit, each of the first and second biological units having a corresponding genetic material, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a first fragment from the genetic material corresponding to the first biological unit; (b) preparing a first phage library having a first selection marker with the first fragment, such that a first peptide is displayed by the first phage library; (c) preparing a second fragment from the genetic material corresponding to the second biological unit; (d) preparing a second phage library having a second selection marker with the second fragment, such that a second peptide is displayed by the second phage library; (e) mixing the first phage library and the second phage library; and (f) co-selecting co-selected phages from the first phage library and from the second phage library by the first selection marker and the second selection marker when a selection process