Monoclonal Antibody FAQs

What should I use as an antigen?

We can either design and manufacture a specific peptide antigen or use another type of antigen (protein, viral, etc.) that you provide. We will work with you to determine the best antigen for your project needs.

If I send you material, how much do you need and how should I send it?

5mg is generally enough to cover the needs for both immunizations and screening, but up to 10mg can be required. Material should be sent overnight under similar conditions to how it is stored (dry ice or ice packs).

What strain(s) of mice should I use?

When immunizing five animals, most customers will use Balb/c mice (Swiss Webster and A/J mice are also regularly available). It is recommended to mix strains when immunizing 10 animals in order to ensure a more varied response.

What screening method does Vivitide use?

In the standard monoclonal package, Vivitide will design a direct ELISA with your antigen bound to a 96-well plate for screening. We can also send hybridoma supernatants to you for testing in your assay. The success of a research project using mAbs often depends on the screening assay used to test the generated material. We will work with you to determine the best screening method.

What will I receive at the end of the package?

At the end of a successful project you will receive 50mL of supernatant for each of up to two positive sub-cloned hybridomas. Additional material can be purchased through ascites or roller bottle scale-up production.

What is vivitide's policy of ownership and confidentiality?

The customer owns all antibody material produced under contract to vivitide. Each order is handled with strict and complete confidentiality. We can also work together to execute a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA).