Advantages and Aisadvantages of Polyclonal Antibodies

      Antibodies are large Y-shaped proteins called immune globulins that are produced by B cells. Due to the strong affinity of an antibody to one particular molecule, they are widely used in research to identify and detect target proteins of interest. Polyclonal antibodies (pAb) display multiepitope binding properties which makes these reagents ideally suited for many applications. Advantages and disadvantages of polyclonal antibodies are as follows:

Advantages:

(1) Inexpensive and relatively quick to produce (+/- 3 months).

(2) Higher overall antibody affinity against the antigen due to the recognition of multiple epitopes.

(3) Have a high sensitivity for detecting low-quantity proteins.

(4) High ability to capture the target protein.

(5) Antibody affinity results in quicker binding to the target antigen.

(6) Superior for use in detecting a native protein.

(7) Easy to couple with antibody labels and rather unlikely to affect binding capability.

Disadvantages：

(1) Batch-to-batch variability as produced in different animals at different times.

(2) High chance of cross-reactivity due to a recognition of multiple epitopes.

What is clear is that antibodies, including pAbs, have been, are now, and will continue to be critical reagents most often used by life science researchers. The life science research community needs to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each of these tools and not to dismiss an entire class of antibodies due to perceived limitations. For some researchers, pAbs may represent an overlooked tool that cannot easily be replaced by using a mAb or rAb. 

      Alpha Lifetech Inc. is a premier supplier of antibodies, proteins, ELISA kits, primary cells, cancer cell lines and related biological reagents, with extensive experience in protein expression, antibody development, library construction, cell line construction, and other related services. Alpha Lifetech Inc. offers over 10,000 polyclonal antibodies targeted various biomolecules. With Alpha Lifetech Inc.'s well established platforms, we guarantee that the polyclonal antibodies we provide are validated through multiple applications and samples, strictly quality controlled and approved for research use.

      Further, if you wanna do a custom service, our technical support will provide with a specific proposal and quote. Please check our list to choose the mouse monoclonal antibody you want. For more information, please contact us and our technical support team will get back to you as soon as possible.