2-Day Training Workshop
May 13 @ 9:00 AM – May 14 @ 5:00 PM
This two-day program is ideal for basic research and translational biology scientists who work with antibodies on a regular basis. This program which focuses on the types of artifacts associated with antibodies and introduce them to a variety of validation methods that can be implemented in research and academic laboratories.
Antibodies, and in particular monoclonal antibodies, are the single most important laboratory reagent, but are now also recognized as a main contributor to the reproducibility crisis that wastes research funding, undermines trust in scientific research, and jeopardizes scientific careers. This workshop brings to the participants’ attention the various factors that can compromise the validity of data produced with antibodies.
When it comes to verifying the integrity and identity of laboratory reagent, the burden of proof is increasingly being laid on researchers, and thus, the end-user of the reagents. The validation or authentication of antibodies can be performed with techniques and equipment readily available in many laboratories. Therefore, this workshop is recommended for anyone who relies on antibodies in their research.
Overview of lecture topics:
- Reagent authentication: why now? Which reagents have the most “issues”?
- Brief intro to producing antibodies – what can go wrong?
- Antibody batch-to-batch variations and QC
- Problems introduced through antibody labeling
- Problems introduced by antibody purification
- Verifying antibody identity: suitable methods already available in most immunology labs
- Proper maintenance of hybridoma cells, proper storage of antibodies