Please see the following overview:

• rabbit
• goat
• mouse
• guinea pig
• rat

other species on request

• proteins
• peptides
• peptide conjugates
• haptens
• small molecules

A conjugation of your protein to a protein carrier is necessary, when the molecular weight is lower than 12 000 daltons or the immunogen is very low immunogenic.

• lyophilised
• dissolved or precipitated in buffer (concentration 0.5 - 1mg/ml)
• in polyacrylamide gel - Coomassie-staining is possible; as pieces which are pH-neutral (as a result of being washed 2-3x in water) and kept moist (in distilled water), up to a maximum of 500 µl of swollen gel per injection
• on nitrocellulose

• proteins: >90%
• peptides: 70-80%

The prospects of obtaining a good immune response increase in proportion to the amount of antigen present. For affinity purification we need 3- 6 mg of antigen. If other quantities or concentrations are available, please contact us. We shall find a solution.

Protein:

• quantity
• buffer
• concentration
• purity
• molecular weight

Native protein: source
Recombinant protein: fusion moiety and expression system

Peptide:

• quantity
• purity
• sequence

Peptide conjugate:

• quantity
• purity
• sequence
• protein carrier
• ration between protein carrier and peptide

Hapten:

• quantity
• nature
• name
• structure

Oligo- or polysaccarides:

• quantity
• structure
• source
• purity

The following additives in buffers can be accepted if the concentration of the antigen is ca.1mg/ml: (maximum)

• 1M Urea
• 200 mM Imidazole (in this case without NaCl)
• 1 mM EDTA
• 2 mM DTT (Dithiotriethole)
• 300 mM NaCl (in this case without Imidazole)
• 0,1% Maltose, Manitol and Trehalose
• 0,1% SDS
• 10% Glycerol

It is possible to test preimmune sera in advance and it is recommended that this should be done in order to select animals which do not already, before being immunised, exhibit an immune response to the antigen which is to be used.

This is particularly important in the case of recombinant proteins which have been prepared in E. coli or which are of plant origin.

Rabbit:
20 ml are supplied on the first occasion (apart from in the case of the guarantee); after that, 20 ml per month is possible; final bleeding gives approx. 50 ml.

Goat:
100 ml, with 100-200 ml per month being possible

Guinea Pig:
0.3 ml per test bleeding; final bleeding gives approx. 10 - 15 ml. 

Rat:
0.2 - 0.3 ml per test bleeding; final bleeding gives approx. 2 - 4 ml.

Mouse:
final bleeding gives approx. 0.2 - 0.3 ml.

The guarantee offer covers the following services:

• testing the antigen by electrophoresis
• testing the preimmune sera by ELISA and selecting suitable animals which do not show any reaction to the antigen in the serum
• immunising two rabbits in accordance with a protocol for up to three months
• titre testing by ELISA, with guaranteed minimum titres of 1:25 000 for a protein and 1:10 000 for a peptide
• supplying preimmune sera and at least 100 ml of antiserum having the guaranteed titre

At least 1.5 mg of soluble antigen (95% purity) or 4-5 mg of peptide which is present at a concentration of 1mg/ml are required.

The buffer should not contain any detergents (e.g. Triton).

Antigens which are in a gel or in suspension, or only available in a quantity of less than 1.5 mg, and also peptide conjugates supplied by the customer, are not suitable.

The antisera are tested by ELISA as an internal quality control before delivery; however, it is also possible to test them by other methods, such as Western blotting or electrophoresis, with a charge then being made for this.

Please provide the protein (3 - 5 mg) preferably in PBS-buffer without containing any additives.

The following additives in buffers can be accepted if the concentration of the antigen is ca. 1mg/ml: (maximum)

• 1M Urea
• 1 mM EDTA
• up to 300 mM NaCl
• 0,1% Maltose, Manitol and Trehalose
• 10% Glycerol

• no amino-group containing buffers (e.g. Tris)
• no amino acids (e.g. Arginine)
• no detergents (e.g. CHAPS, SDS, Triton, Tween)
• no DTT

If only a small amount of antigen is available, please contact us.

It is not possible to predict the quantity of antibody precisely.

The quantity of monospecific antibodies in the antiserum depends on the immune response and on the nature and quantity of the antigen.The amount obtained from 20 ml of antiserum can vary between 0.5 mg and up to 5 – 20 mg.

The affinity purification is carried out on a CnBr-Sepharose column.

There are standard protocols for the immunisation (see the pages concerning polyclonal antibodies). It is possible to vary them in accordance with the customer’s wishes, and they depend on the quantity and nature of the antigen.

In most cases it is possible to keep animals as long as the customer needs. The customer decides how long the animals are to be kept and when they are to be finally bled or disposed of. On every occasion the antisera are supplied, the customer is given a Fax-Reply for communicating the further proceeding with the animals.