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Location: Home > Custom Services > Antibody Discovery Services > Polyclonal Antibody Production

Polyclonal Antibody Production

Date: 2019-11-03 Author: Leading Biology Click: 10835

Polyclonal Antibodies Introduction


Polyclonal antibodies are antibodies which have been derived from multiple B cells or cell lines. A preparation of these antibodies bears some resemblance to the antibody variety found in normal serum, which is the fluid component that separates from clotted blood. The resemblance is due to the fact that antibodies that are polyclonal recognize different epitopes and have different degrees of specificity. In contrast, the antibodies in a monoclonal preparation are derived from one clonal type and recognize the same epitope with the same degree of specificity.


To produce custom polyclonal antibodies, an animal such as a chicken, mouse or rabbit is immunized with an antigen and adjuvant preparation. The animal’s immune system is stimulated to produce B cells which secrete antibody that is specific for the antigen. After a period of time, typically several weeks or even months, the animal’s serum is harvested.


Custom polyclonal antibody preparations are usually a mixture of antibody specificities which all recognize the same antigen. The specificity difference means the antibodies bind with differing strengths to different epitopes on the antigen. The serum can be used as is once it has been separated from the whole blood, and can also be further purified if desired. Blood serum that contains polyclonal antibodies is known as antiserum.



The advantages and disadvantages of polyclonal antibodies were mainly determined by their multi-epitope specificity. The key advantages and disadvantages are listed below:

Advantages

  • Short production time and low cost.
  • Highly stable and tolerant of pH or buffer changes.
  • High affinity. Since the antibodies bind to more than one epitope, they can help amplify the signal from target protein even with low expression levels. This makes these antibodies ideal for immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation.
  • Tolerant of minor changes of antigen. Polyclonal antibodies are less sensitive to antigen changes (slight denaturation, polymorphism, heterogeneity of glycosylation) than monoclonal antibodies.

Disadvantages

  • Prone to batch to batch variability.
  • Multiple epitopes make it important to check the immunogen sequence for any cross-reactivity.


Service details

Antigen Forms

Polyclonal antibodies can be generated against both soluble and non-soluble recombinant proteins, fusion proteins, gel strips, existing peptide, etc. Live or toxic substances cannot be accepted.


Antigen Quantity

We recommend sending 2-3 mg of the antigen for a rabbit or chicken project and 5-7 mg for a goat project. Extensions or immunochemistry services may require additional antigen.


Antigen Concentration

Leading Biology can work with most protein concentrations as long as this information is provided. 1 mg/ml is a good target range, but higher concentrations are welcome. We consider 0.25 to .5 mg/ml a minimum concentration in most cases to ensure maximum protein volumes in each immunization.


Considerations for Gel Bands

Immunizing with gel bands works well for generating polyclonal antibodies against a purified protein. If providing a gel strip, please stain with coomassie blue, de-stain, rinse and cut out the strip containing the target protein. Please avoid freezing or homogenizing the gel strip so that we can aliquot appropriate quantities of the protein for each immunization. With gel bands, in particular, it is important to maintain a higher concentration of the protein as outlined above.


Shipping Antigens to Leading Biology

Please ship the antigen in a Styrofoam box with ice packs (dry ice isn’t necessary) via FedEx, UPS or DHL Overnight to the address listed on our Order Form. 


Related Services

Rapid Antibody Service

Chicken Polyclonal Antibody Service

Rat Polyclonal Antibody Service

Mouse Polyclonal Antibody Service

Rabbit Polyclonal Antibody Service

Polyclonal Antibody Serum Preparation


Why Leading Biology?


With over 5 years of experience in custom antibodies, we offer numerous benefits for developing your custom antibody:


• Our industry leading titer guarantees of 1:50,000 eliminate the risk of not obtaining antibodies against peptide antigens.

• Our economies of scale allow us to pass cost savings to you and help maximize your budget.

• 100% of services are transparent throughout.

• Antibodies from our facility have been cited in many published research papers.

• By outsourcing antibody production and characterization needs to us, you can spend more time focused on your research.

• Our ideal location in California ensures that animals benefit from outdoor facilities and mild year-round temperatures.

• Confidentiality is a top priority for all projects. Antibodies that we manufacture belong to you and will not be commercialized.


Contact Information


Please obtain a quote before ordering, and refer to the quote number when you place an order.

Orders are typically confirmed within 12 hours.

Have a Question? Email us info@leadingbiology.com

Order Products: Order Related Products

By Phone: 1-661-524(LBI)-0262 (USA)


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