Antibody validation Practical guide to finding and validating suitable antibodies for research
2.D Match antibody data to existing information
Match antibody data to existing information to assess whether the validation data matches the known expression patterns of the antigen
As mentioned previously, the biological information on the target is crucial, since it will give you hints about what you should expect to see when selecting or testing an antibody (molecular weight, subcellular localization, tissue distribution, etc.). As a consequence, any non-specific interactions can be readily identified. As an example, a membrane receptor is obviously expected to be localized at the plasma membrane, therefore if the staining reported in the datasheet shows a nuclear staining, this is a clear indicator that your antibody may not be specific. Additionally, if the results obtained with the antibody you have selected differ from the data generated using another antibody, then you should further investigate which antibody is most likely to be specific for the target antigen.