A significant step in ensuring your antibody production workflow will meet your needs is determining the type of antibody necessary. Two strategies for ensuring compatibility and strong yields include monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Partnering with a reputable lab can help you make an appropriate selection and ensure your production workflow is effective. We examine monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies below and highlight the core differences.
A Closer Look at Monoclonal Antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are a specifics-based workflow where only a single epitope of a single antigen is recognizable. Labs will use identical immune cells from a single parent host cell, hence the name “monoclonal.” With distinct fusing of various host cells, a hybridoma will grow and create stable growth environments for daughter cells.
Each hybridoma will allow researchers to study and compare individual entities for optimal purification and yields. Because of this workflow, monoclonal antibodies suit specific projects with distinct requirements, compared to polyclonal, which may suit variable applications.
An advantage of monoclonal antibodies includes consistency across the experiments and a reduction in cross-reactivity. However, a disadvantage is how costly this workflow is and how long the production window is.
A Closer Look at Polyclonal Antibodies
Polyclonal antibodies are a low-cost, highly effective strategy when seeking a high-volume production in a short timeframe. Polyclonal antibodies use animal hosts to produce various B cells. By using a single antigen, a polyclonal antibody can recognize various epitopes. Choosing a synthetic peptide or protein is the best solution, but it’s critical to choose the right one, given the yield’s intentions.
However, polyclonal antibody production and selection have various advantages and disadvantages. The most prevalent advantages include cost efficiency and shortened production timeframes. And even in the presence of a low-expression protein, polyclonal antibodies offer strong target signals. The most significant disadvantage of polyclonal antibodies is the variable batch outcomes and how this can affect specific applications.
The Core Differences
The most significant differences between monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are production costs, specifications, and intended applications. When factoring in these three variables, you and your preferred lab will choose the best approach and guarantee reliable outcomes. Choosing a reputable lab for your high-throughput antibody expression services is a step in the right direction for any monoclonal or polyclonal demands.
Bon Opus Biosciences specializes in reputable antibody production services with a comprehensive workflow and a mission of transparency. We cater our services to be affordable, ensuring each application has access to the services they need the most. Request a custom quote today!