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AAT Bioquest

What are the advantages of polyclonal antibodies?

Posted October 7, 2022


Answer

Polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) are a heterogeneous mixture of multiple antibodies that are typically derived by different B-cell clones of an animal. They are produced by the inoculation of a suitable mammal, such as a rabbit, goat or mouse. Larger mammals are often preferred as the amount of serum derived is greater. Advantages of polyclonal antibodies include:  

  • Relatively quicker and less expensive to produce 
  • Have a higher sensitivity for detecting proteins in low quantities
  • Offer wider options for producing antibodies in different animals
  • Higher overall antibody affinity against the antigen because of its ability to recognize and bind to multiple epitopes
  • Faster binding to the target antigen because of higher antibody affinity 
  • Higher ability to capture the protein of interest 
  • Relatively simple to purify using affinity chromatography techniques
  • Easy to couple with antibody labels
  • Does not affect binding capability
Additional resources

Overlooked benefits of using polyclonal antibodies

ReadiLink™ xtra Rapid FITC Antibody Labeling Kit *BSA-Compatible*