storing antibodies

[Phillip E. Schwartz]

Dear John,

Several antibody storage strategies are documented and, in most cases, will work 
with most antibodies. One should determine, on a small scale, whether a particular 
antibody has a stability issue. For example, I recently discovered that an epitope 
affinity-purified polyclonal IgG stored in the presence of BSA fails to bind 
antigen after a single freeze-thaw cycle yet the total, unpurified IgG fraction 
immunoblots perfectly after numerous freeze-thaw cycles. Here are some storage 
conditions I have used with good results.

1. Sterile-filtered crude antisera with 0.05% Na Azide at 4 C for 1-2 years; -80 C 
almost indefinately.

2. Ammonium sulfate ppt. IgG slurry at -20/-80 C almost indefinately.

3. Crude ascites or purified IgG from ascites at -20 C/-80 C almost indefinately.

4. Affinity-purified IgG with at least 1 mg/ml BSA at -20 C/-80 C almost 
indefinately.

5. Antibody 'working stock' with 50% glycerol at -20 C for 6 mo-2 years.

I hope this is useful to you. Please contact me with additional questions.

Phillip E. Schwartz
Antibody Partnership Project Manager
Affinity BioReagents, Inc.
14818 W. 6th Ave., Suite 13A
Golden, CO 80401
TEL:		800-527-4535
FAX:		303-278-2424
email:		schwartz at bioreagents.com
website:	http://www.bioreagents.com/affinity