In 1989, during a routine lab experiment with students at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), professor Raymond Hamers and his wife professor Cécile Casterman made a spontaneous choice: to use camelid blood — leftover from a previous experiment — because no other samples were available. What followed was a discovery that would revolutionise biotechnology.
A chance decision, an unexpected result, a scientific breakthrough
In 1989, professor Raymond Hamers and his wife professor Cécile Casterman were conducting a routine student experiment to isolate antibodies from blood samples. When suitable materials were unavailable, they resorted to using frozen dromedary blood from a previous study. When students analysed the sample, the antibodies they found didn’t match expectations. The results seemed wrong at first, showing antibodies with a structure unlike any known before. Sceptical of an error, they repeated the test with assistant Serge Muyldermans, and confirmed the surprising finding. They had discovered a unique type of antibody, found only in camelids, with a radically different structure — less complex and smaller, yet powerful antibodies with special properties. A scientific surprise with world-changing potential.
Perseverance in the lab
Hamers recognised the potential of these unique antibodies. He wasn’t just a brilliant scientist — he was also persistent. Patenting such a discovery is crucial. At the time, however, intellectual property strategy at universities was still in its infancy. He took matters into his own hands and filed the first patent with Casterman and Muyldermans in Paris in 1992, at their own expense. A year later, the research was published in Nature, after initially being rejected — a turning point that validated his discovery globally.
The impact: Revolutionising biotech
Hamers' students and collaborators picked up the torch. Professor Serge Muyldermans further minimised the size down to single-domain antibodies (sdAb), the so-called VHHs or NANOBODIES®. A streamlined technology was developed to identify target-specific NANOBODIES®. Over the years, researchers refined the structures, enabling breakthroughs in medicine, biotechnology, and agriculture.
This work also inspired the establishment of Ablynx, a pioneering biotech company developing nanobody-based medicines, and helped unlock key medical applications. Ablynx is a spin-off from the university and was co-founded in 2001 by Jan Steyaert, Serge Muyldermans, VUB and VIB (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie). It became one of Belgium’s leading biotech success stories, culminating in a €3.9 billion acquisition by Sanofi in 2018. Ongoing research at Jan Steyaert’s lab (VIB-VUB) continuously contributes to technological innovations in the VHH field. NANOBODIES® have transformed biomedical research, offering new ways to diagnose and treat cancer, protect crops with biodegradable agents, and advance structural biology — even contributing to Nobel Prize winning work.
These developments have sparked multiple collaborations between universities, research institutes, and industry players. So far, the success of these tiny antibody fragments has given rise to six spin-off companies: Ablynx (2001, VIB-VUB), Biotalys (2013, formerly AgroSavfe, VIB-VUB), Precirix (2015, formerly Camel-IDS, VUB-UZ Brussel), Confo Therapeutics (2015, VIB-VUB), ExeVir Bio (2020, VIB-UGhent), and Animab (2020, VIB-VUB-UGhent).
From a forgotten blood sample to a billion-euro industry, camelid antibodies are nowadays used in labs and clinics around the world. Now off-patent, the technology is freely accessible worldwide and continuously evolving, fuelling innovation across countless fields. A true example of how research, fuelled by curiosity and a bit of luck, can impact the world.
Remark: NANOBODY® is a registered trademark of Ablynx N.V. (acquired by Sanofi).
Watch the VRT documentary "Knappe Koppen" on VRT MAX until the end of 2025. Be inspired by the incredible story of the Nanobody® – a tiny molecule with global impact.
