What an immensely humbling opportunity it is to thank those who have been a part of this wild and wonderful academic journey. This is by no means an accomplishment based on my efforts alone, and I am deeply indebted to all who have contributed in a myriad of ways. I would first like to acknowledge my parents, Jim and Terry, who instilled the importance of integrity, humility, diligence and a strong work ethic from an early age. These values set the foundation for the scientist I am today, and

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... r that -in addition to their unwavering love and support -I am abundantly grateful. To my three brothers, Matt, Eric and Dillon, thanks for the many years of pestering rooted in love; it helped to develop the thick skin and gumption necessary to make it through a doctorate program. Of course, it is also the support, love, prayers and encouragement of all of my extended family and friends that have made the completion of this work possible. I would like to thank my graduate research advisor, Dr. Jennifer Brodbelt, for her patience and the freedom to explore my scientific interests. I have developed into a far more independent and creative scientist under her leadership. I am also grateful to Dr. Dan Sykes, my undergraduate advisor, mentor, and the person to whom I attribute my deep love of analytical chemistry. He will forever set the standard as a model leader and educator. Thanks are owed to my collaborators, particularly Andrew Horton, Dr. Yariv Wine and Dr. George Georgiou, for providing many of the antibody samples described in this dissertation, as well as considerable insight regarding the immunological role of these incredible biomolecules. Dr. Justin Sperry from Pfizer and Dr. Sheng Gu, previously at Biogen, are gratefully acknowledged for their generous donations of