November 10, 2026 | Andrew Bradbury (Specifica) and Ben Hackel (University of Minnesota) pressure-test AI antibody engineering against real measurements on the latest episode of The Chain. They explore where algorithms match results from the bench and where they still fall short. They also trace how better datasets, better blinding, and better developability thinking can make the next generation of antibody discovery more trustworthy and more useful.

Listen in to hear:
• why the field needs prospective, blinded benchmarks instead of marketing claims
• how the Nature Biotechnology antibody challenge is structured across three tasks
• about affinity maturation results where the best AI matches the best experimental outcomes
• why developability screens can overturn “best affinity” winners
• what CDR design gets right today and where it still breaks in practice
• how investor pressure and publication gaps distort perceptions of progress
• the origin of Specifica and the Gen 3 library idea of matched, developable building blocks

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The Chain explores the lives, careers, research, and discoveries of protein engineers and scientists, the impact their work is having on the field, and where the industry is headed. Tune in to stay up to date on the newest advancements and to hear the stories that are impacting the world of biologics.

You can’t forecast the next epidemic with precision, so why do we keep building preparedness plans that depend on guessing? Host Dennis Burton, Ph.D., sits down with Jim Crowe, Jr., M.D., professor and director of the Vaccine Center at Vanderbilt University, to map a more durable approach: AHEAD 100—Advanced Human Epidemic Antibody Defenses 100—an index-fund-style program to create and stockpile human monoclonal antibody drugs for the 100 infections most likely to spark major outbreaks. The goal is to take best-in-class neutralizing antibodies, move them beyond early clinical testing, and get them ready to deploy when the world needs them. They also honestly discuss scientific accountability, what the public is asking of researchers, and how to think about gain-of-function research without slogans.

Links from this episode:
The Scripps Research Institute
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

How have antibody trends changed over the decades? Janice Reichert, Ph.D., founder and editor-in-chief of mAbs, joins host Paul Carter, Ph.D., to discuss the evolution of monoclonal antibody therapeutics and their experiences with shaping—and documenting—the field. Their conversation covers the advances that have transformed the industry, evolving success rates for antibody therapeutics, and the growing sophistication of multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and more. Plus, they discuss both AI and China's emergence as major forces in antibody development.

Links from this episode:
Genentech
mAbs