As one of the most common reagents in biology and medical research, there are more than 350,000 commercially produced antibodies available for research and clinical applications. However, the quality of the commercially available antibodies varies from vendor to vendor.

Different vendors have different antibody validation protocols, and some researchers may wish to test the product before using it on valuable samples. You can also check out the Boster Bio featured products for antibody services. Here are some factors to consider when considering antibody quality. 

One of the most important factors to consider in antibody validation is ensuring that the antibody is effective against the target antigen. We previously discussed the use of knockout samples to validate antibodies.

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Using knockout samples in your analysis guarantees real negative control. But it also means that the test doesn't test for antigen-antibody binding affinity, and knockout cell lines against your specific target gene may not always be available. Luckily, knockouts aren't the only method out there.

Antibodies are usually generated using animals whose species differ from the original protein host. This is to maximize the possibility of triggering an immune response and producing antibodies.

However, this also means that sometimes the antibodies produced will not work in your sample. Therefore, you should first check the cross-reactivity of the antibody you have purchased or test the antibody on a smaller sample.