University of California, Irvine and Tokyo Institute of Technology biochemists have developed a technique called molecular imprinting that may make artificial antibodies just as effective as the real thing.

This method involves taking a target molecule and placing it in a solution containing the building blocks of a polymer antibody. The polymer then grows around its target, conforming to its shape; once it’s done, the target molecule is rinsed away. Then, when the artificial antibody next meets the target molecule, they fit together like a key in a lock.

Better synthetic antibodies could be used therapeutically in parts of the body where normal antibodies break down quickly, such as the digestive tract. They could also be used in portable devices designed to detect traces of chemical weapons.