Search for Antibodies

What are polyclonal antibodies?

Polyclonal antibodies are characterised as a mix of immunoglobulin molecules which are specific to the same antigen but bind different epitopes, unlike monoclonal antibodies which are specific to a single epitope. You can search for polyclonal antibodies in the form of an antiserum, or as a further purified product.

Why use polyclonal antibodies?

The ability of polyclonal antibodies to bind multiple epitopes of your target makes them highly selective tools that can be useful when trying to detect small amounts of a target or amplify a signal.

Polyclonal antibodies can also be produced efficiently and at a relatively low cost, and are more stable than monoclonal antibodies in conditions where pH or buffer changes may occur. However, it is worth considering that polyclonal antibodies may have higher batch to batch variability than monoclonal antibodies and their production is limited by the life-span of the animal they are produced from.

What are monoclonal antibodies?

Monoclonal antibodies specifically bind to a single epitope of your protein target, in contrast to polyclonal antibodies which bind to many epitopes, and are commonly produced using the hybridoma method. This technique involves immunising an animal against your target, isolating the antibody-producing cells and fusing with immortal partner myeloma cells.

Why use monoclonal antibodies?

Monoclonal antibodies have a higher lot to lot consistency than polyclonal antibodies which can help improve the reproducibility of your experiments. Unlike with polyclonals, the hybridoma method ensures a continuous supply of your antibody.

Monoclonal antibodies are also highly specific due to their ability to bind a single epitope on your target. However, it is worth bearing in mind that production of a monoclonal antibody is a time consuming and expensive process.

Looking for secondary antibodies?

Use the CiteAb antibody search to find secondary antibodies that are specific to the primary antibody which binds your target. Often, these secondary antibodies are conjugated to other molecules, such as enzymes, biotin and dyes, to enable the quantification and observation of your target indirectly.

Secondary antibodies must be specific to the primary antibody isotype and species, and are commonly used for detection and capture in applications such as immunofluorescence and ELISAs.

How to choose a secondary antibody

There are multiple factors to consider when selecting a secondary antibody for your research. Take care to ensure the secondary antibody is selective to the primary antibody, considering both host and isotype matching.

If using a conjugated secondary, it is important to think about your application – a fluorophore conjugate may be ideal for immunofluorescence applications, but perhaps an enzyme conjugate may be more suitable for western blots, for example. Also consider the risk of cross labelling if your experiment involves multiple different primary antibodies.