Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognize single epitopes of an antigen with high specificity, making them powerful tools for detecting, quantifying, and targeting proteins in both basic research and medicine. They are widely used in techniques such as immunohistochemistry, immunoprecipitation, western blotting, ELISA, and flow cytometry to detect the presence of specific proteins and their interaction partners in cells, to enable the subcellular visualization of proteins, or to facilitate the sorting of cells based on their surface epitopes. Producing mAbs involves the generation of hybridoma cell lines through the fusion of antibody-producing B cells with myeloma cells, followed by rigorous screening and validation to identify high specificity and affinity clones. Generation of top-class mAbs therefore depends on a high level of expertise and stringent quality control.
From epitopes…
“Our facility builds on 30 years of expertise”, says Stefan Schüchner, head of the facility. The facility team, which also includes two research technicians, David Drescher and Alexander Stadler, is thoroughly integrated within the Ogris lab at the Max Perutz Labs. “We see ourselves as scientists. All members of the facility are actively involved in research and publishing”, Stefan explains. “We emphasize close scientific exchange with our customers to fully understand their research questions and then collaboratively design the best approach to fulfill their needs.”
What sets the facility apart from most commercial antibody vendors is its rigorous validation process. Using a special device called ‘Miniblotter’, the team can screen hundreds of samples by western blot in just 24 hours. In contrast to standard high-throughput methods like ELISA, mini blotting ensures the detection of highly specific antibodies that recognize full-length target proteins, providing superior accuracy and reliability. “Commercial competitors mostly rely on ELISA, screening for antibodies that bind to peptides”, Stefan explains. “However, just because an antibody recognizes a peptide doesn’t mean it will specifically detect the full-length protein with high affinity.”
…to excellence
The latest addition to the facility's portfolio is the ability to provide customers with the full antibody sequence, delivered in a mammalian expression vector. This service adds significant value, allowing for continuous antibody quality and better reproducibility. By focusing on quality and rigorous testing, the facility ensures specific, sensitive, and robust detection tools for their project partners.