Core Facility Monoclonal Antibodies

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 or 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 can also validate the supernatants by automated Western blotting on cell lysates containing the target protein.

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.