Focus on Concentrates for Flexibility in Your Laboratory
Concentrated Antibodies Are Both Easy to Use and Offer Great Advantages
Working with antibody concentrates can seem intimidating to new users. However, regular users of concentrated antibodies quickly find that they are
both easy to use and offer great advantages.
While ready-to-use antibody formats come pre-diluted to a set concentration, antibody concentrates can be titered to any desired dilution factor.
Even though most antibody vendors provide a recommended antibody dilution, it is good laboratory practice to test dilutions above and below this
recommendation for a thorough optimization range (i.e., if the recommended dilution is 1:50, consider testing 1:25, 1:50, and 1:100 to see which
works best in your lab). This flexibility gives users a leg up in staining optimization by providing great control over sensitivity and specificity when titering
to higher and lower concentrations, respectively. Concentrates are especially economical when it comes to staining specificity, as higher dilutions with
lower antibody density are less likely to bind to non-target elements in the tissue. In other words, the farther you take them out, the more specific they
become! This feature can be a highly effective cost-saving measure for any lab interested in bringing down their cost per test.
Concentrated antibody formats can also open a world of possibilities for antibody cocktailing. Unlike ready-to-use antibody cocktails, concentrates make
cocktail combinations and concentrations totally customizable. Concentrate users can mix and match markers from different host species and in varying
ratios, bringing the highest level of staining quality to their fingertips.
How To Dilute Antibodies, 1mL (1,000 µL) Working Solution with 1:100 Dilution
Step 1: Calculate Antibody Volume Step 2: Calculate Diluent Volume
Total Desired Working Solution Volume ÷ Dilution Factor =
Antibody Volume
Sample: 1000 µL ÷ 100 = 10 µL
Total Desired Working Solution – Volume of Concentrated Antibody =
Diluent Volume
Sample: 1000 µL – 10 µL = 990 µL
To make a 1 mL (1,000 µL) working solution of diluted antibody with a dilution factor of 1:100, divide 1,000 µL by 100, which equals 10. Take
10 µL from the concentrated primary antibody stock vial and add into 990 µL of diluent.
To learn more about how concentrates can bring cost savings and flexibility to your lab,
please contact us at 1-800-799-9499 or visit our website at www.biocare.net.