Normal Horse Serum - FAQs

View additional product information for Normal Horse Serum - FAQs (31874)

2 product FAQs found

The antibody I purchased from you says ''concentration not determined'' on the product label and on the product page. How do I determine the concentration?

Some antibodies are provided in non-purified formats, such as ascites fluid, tissue culture supernatant, or whole serum. These formats contain multiple proteins, which can interfere with accurate protein quantification. Traditional methods like A280 measurement or protein assays such as BCA quantify total protein but do not provide a specific concentration for the antibody in question.

Literature, such as "Antibodies" by Harlow & Lane (1988) (https://antibodiesmanual.org/index.php) (Table 8.2 - Storing and Purifying Antibodies), suggests approximate concentrations of antibodies in these solutions, as shown below. However, please note that these are rough estimates, and actual concentrations can vary based on several factors.

Serum
Total antibody concentration: 10 mg/mL
Specific antibody concentration: 0.1 to 1 mg/mL (a maximum of 10% of the antibody population is expected to be the specific antibody of interest)

Tissue Culture Supernatant (10% FBS)
Total antibody concentration: 1 mg/mL
Specific antibody concentration: 0.05 mg/mL

Tissue Culture Supernatant (serum-free)
Total antibody concentration: 0.01 to 0.05 mg/mL
Specific antibody concentration: 0.01 to 0.05 mg/mL

Ascites
Total antibody concentration: 1 to 10 mg/mL
Specific antibody concentration: 0.9 to 9 mg/mL

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Antibodies and Immunoassays Support Center.

When would I use goat, horse, or chicken serum for blocking versus FBS or BSA?

For blocking, you should use a serum of the same or closely related species of the secondary antibody being used. If using a secondary antibody that was raised in goat or sheep, use goat serum (Cat. No. R37624 or 31873) for blocking; if using a secondary antibody raised in donkey or horse, use horse serum (Cat. No. R37625 or 31874) for blocking; if using a secondary antibody raised in chicken, use chicken serum (Cat. No. R37626) for blocking. FBS and BSA are alternatives when a specific species of serum is not available.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.