EuroMAbNet: European Monoclonal Antibodies Network

Step 2. Collect information and find existing antibodies

The available data in the scientific literature and the information provided on antibody product sheets from the supplier generally provide the most important sources of information. For many antigens there will be an antibody that is already widely used experimentally and for which there is extensive validation data, making it an obvious choice for your experiments. When prioritising antibodies the first and most essential step to consider is their ability to specifically detect their target antigen. At the same time that you are looking for the existence of antibody against your target, you should verify the reported expression of your protein in the literature. This information can give you an overview of the protein’s distribution across tissues, localisation (nuclear, cytoplasmic etc.), and expression levels, and is fundamental for selecting the appropriate positive and negative cells or tissue sample controls that you will need to confirm your antibody performance.

The search for this information is summarised below:

• 2.A Review the published peer-reviewed literature
• 2.B Find existing antibodies
• 2.C Review product information
• 2.D Match antibody data to existing information
• 2.E Study the individual company cataloguesv
• 2.F Accurately identify individual antibodies
• Example step 2