Custom Polyclonal Antibody

Custom Polyclonal Antibody are a mixture of immunoglobulins secreted by multiple B cell clones that recognize distinct epitopes on a single antigen. These individual antibodies have varying binding affinity to the antigen, which provides a broad range of detection options. Polyclonal antibodies are relatively quick and easy to produce, often becoming available for use within four months. They are also more stable and tolerant to pH and buffer conditions than monoclonal antibodies. They are ideal for applications requiring rapid capture of the target protein such as Sandwich ELISA.

During the production of polyclonal antibodies, antigen-processing cells are used to activate quiescent B-cells into plasmocytes that secrete immunoglobulins specific to a particular antigen. These immunoglobulins are then isolated and cloned, resulting in large quantities of identical antibody.

Custom Polyclonal Antibodies

Unlike monoclonal antibodies, which have a high level of batch-to-batch homogeneity, polyclonal antibodies possess a broad range of recognition sites and therefore are less sensitive to cross reactivity and more reliable in identifying a target protein. Additionally, a polyclonal antibody may detect several epitopes on a target protein, providing more robust detection in low abundance samples.

In terms of ease of production, polyclonal antibodies are a preferred option when working with large antigen targets due to the fact that they require fewer cloning steps. In addition, they are generally more cost-effective and take a shorter time to produce, as there is no need for characterization of the cloned monoclonal antibody. Additionally, a polyclonal antibody has the potential to be more versatile than monoclonal antibody as it can be used in a wide variety of applications.