Core Facility Monoclonal Antibodies
Core Facility Monoclonal Antibodies (CF-MAB) provides expert support and services to academic institutions and biotech companies for the production of custom monoclonal antibodies.
We use the iLab Core Management system to book services by internal and external users.
Core Facility Monoclonal Antibodies (CF-MAB) provides expert support and services to academic institutions and biotech companies for the production of custom monoclonal antibodies.
We use the iLab Core Management system to book services by internal and external users.
FAQ
Please get in touch with us via email.
We need as many information of the target antigen as possible, i.e. sequence, structure, localization within the cell, species, etc. and the intended applications you'd like to use the antibody, i.e. immunoblotting, IHC, IF, Flow Cytometry, or ELISA. Before immunization, we will need a short project description that explains why the generation of new antibodies against your target of choice is important.
We usually immunize two wild-type rats and one mouse, but the choice of host for immunization depends on the localization of the target antigen (intracellular or extracellular), the species from which the antigen is derived, and the degree of interspecies conservation.
To generate antibodies against murine extracellular or cell surface proteins, knock-out mice (if available and appropriate) can be imported into our animal facility for immunization.
Yes. However, we can organize the synthesis of peptide antigens for you and can also provide cells for transfection and expression of complex cell surface molecules that can be used for immunization and generation of antibodies in rats.
Yes. You need to validate the primary antibody supernatants in the applications in which you will subsequently use the established monoclonal antibodies. The validation setup should be ready before the animals are boosted.
For most in vitro assays (WB, IHC, IF, Flow Cytometry ELISA) you can use antibody supernatant from cultured hybridoma cells. We usually add NaN3 to avoid bacterial contamination, however, we can prepare sterile supernatants without NaN3 e.g.for functional cell culture experiments.
We can purify established monoclonal antibodies from cell culture supernatant for the direct conjugation of antibodies, for the use of antibodies as capture reagents and for in vivo applications.
Yes. The primary screening is performed by the Core Facility in a first FACS/ELISA screen to identify supernatants containing antibodies that bind to the antigen. In addition, depending on the intended assays, we also can perform capture, competition or Sandwich ELISA assays or whole cell screening in 96-well flow cytometry analyses.
We are in the process of setting up an online system that will allow you to check the progress of your project/order. For now, please contact us by email.
This image provides an overview and timeline for our customized three-step antibody manufacturing workflow
We use the iLab Core Management system to book services by internal and external customers.
If you are an Helmholtz Munich researcher, your PSP account will be charged upon completion of the work.
External customers will receive a quote from us in advance and an invoice upon completion of the work.
The information how to book the service, for both internal and external customers, can be found here.
The process for making new monoclonal antibodies is divided into three steps that are billed independently. We only charge for the steps that have already been started. Please contact us.
We have extensive experience in monoclonal antibody production, so each project has the best chance of success. However, we cannot guarantee that your target antigen will result in high-affinity antibodies. We have quality control measures in place to increase the chances of success, software programs to analyze antigens, and expertise on screening strategies, but there are targets that fail to induce a strong antibody response despite all predictions.