A member of a specific binding pair (sbp) is identified by expressing DNA
encoding a genetically diverse population of such sbp members in
recombinant host cells in which the sbp members are displayed in
functional form at the surface of a secreted recombinant genetic display
package (rgdp) containing DNA encoding the sbp member or a polypeptide
component thereof, by virtue of the sbp member or a polypeptide component
thereof being expressed as a fusion with a capsid component of the rgdp.
The displayed sbps may be selected by affinity with a complementary sbp
member, and the DNA recovered from selected rgdps for expression of the
selected sbp members. Antibody sbp members may be thus obtained, with the
different chains thereof expressed, one fused to the capsid component and
the other in free form for association with the fusion partner
polypeptide. A phagemid may be used as an expression vector, with said
capsid fusion helping to package the phagemid DNA. Using this method
libraries of DNA encoding respective chains of such multimeric sbp
members may be combined, thereby obtaining a much greater genetic
diversity in the sbp members than could easily be obtained by
conventional methods.