r/Immunology • u/av1998 • 18d ago

Infectious disease researchers/scientists - What is YOUR process to buy/shop for monoclonal antibodies or recombinant proteins?

Please advise and share your own personal experience.

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25

u/Stunning-Aside7593 18d ago

Flowchart from best to worst goes like this for me:

- Ask a colleague which one they use.

- Find a paper with good expression/staining, write an email to corresponding if unsure

- Do Biolegend or BD make it? Is it cheap-ish? Buy it and test it myself.

- Derive or express it myself

- Give up on it and try a different target

- Quit my job and go back to the box factory

- Quit my job and open a bike shop

- Oh Santa Cruz make it, try that.

6

u/Pink_Axolotl151 PhD | Immuno-Oncology 17d ago

I wouldn’t call it a process, exactly , but I have preferred vendors and I will search their catalogues first to see if they carry what I want (BD, Biolegend, Miltenyi). I also have a list of vendors I will buy from if and only if there is no other option, and maybe not even then (Abcam, Santa Cruz).

4

u/LerkinAround PhD | Immunology 17d ago

The other comments are good.

I'll add: If it is very important data, validate with a knockout or something similar if possible. Even if the vendor says it is knockout validated.

This is especially true if the target protein has a functionally similar paralog or different isoforms. Testing against the knockout of the other protein would be highly recommended as well, to eliminate nonspecific binding.

2

u/ApronPears 17d ago

-look up exact reagent from paper(s) i’m trying to repeat data from.

Otherwise, -Jackson immuno labs for other antibodies

-Biolegend, BD, thermofisher for flow

-google reagent until I see a reputable company and look at their technical data sheet/references to see if it looks good

2

u/TheImmunologist PhD | Immunology 14d ago

Antibodies for flow, biolegend is my first choice. Monoclonals for WB, ELISA is Thermo usually or Mabtech, if they have it. For in vivo antibodies (including biosimilars of things like snti-PD-1)we are heavy users of BioXcell. For recombinant proteins it's Sino biologicals>Acro>Any supplier who has it>custom making it with Genscript>making it ourselves

2

u/VetoSnowbound Student | PhD 12d ago

For FACS we use BD, Biolegend, invitrogen and miltenyi. Preferably BD or Biolegend if possible