The 4th Annual Recombinant Antibodies Conference was immediately following the 5th Annual 'Molecular Display: The Chemistry Set for Proteins and Small Molecules' conference, both held in Cambridge, MA and organised by Cambridge Healthtech Institute. The former conference focused on development of new approaches for recombinant antibody development, with particular emphasis on improved methods for selection and optimisation allowing rapid validation and development of human antibodies for the clinic. There were many impressive presentations describing emerging technologies such as new antibody-like scaffolds, covalent P2 antibody display, de-immunisation of antibodies and measuring affinities of as many as 400 clones simultaneously using proteomic microarray platforms. The conference also highlighted the latest applications of library technologies for proteomics and target discovery, and the generation of therapeutic molecules as antibodies alone or as drug, toxin or radionuclide conjugates.