Abcam recombinant antibodies

Recombinant antibody production occurs in vitro by cloning antibody genes into high-yield expression vectors. These vectors are then introduced into expression hosts (eg, bacteria, yeast or mammalian) to generate recombinant antibodies.

Recombinant antibodies can be used wherever one would normally use a traditional monoclonal antibody. In comparison, monoclonal antibodies are typically made using B-cells from an immunised animal to form immortal hybridoma cells that secrete the desired antibody clone. While this technique produces consistent, specific and sensitive monoclonal antibodies in large quantities, over time hybridoma cell lines can experience genetic drift, resulting in slight variations to the antibodies produced. Antibodies against difficult targets, ie, toxins, nucleotides and membrane-bound proteins, can’t always be made with this in vivo model either.

Abcam’s recombinant antibodies overcome the limitations of traditional antibody production to provide a high level of consistency between batches, reproducibility, confirmed specificity and a long-term supply. With recombinant technology, it is easy to improve antibody sensitivity through antibody engineering. To ensure specificity, the company uses extensive validation methods, including knockout validation, to help provide confidence in results.

​With the antibody genes isolated and the sequence known, antibody expression can be carried out at any scale and the long-term supply of the antibody assured, the company claims. This makes recombinant antibodies suitable for long-term studies or for using the same antibody across multiple samples. For antibodies generated using Abcam’s phage display technology, even the gene of the antibody can be isolated with an animal-free procedure.