Antibodies

Lisapeep

So, does anyone know what happens if you leave a tube containing monoclonal antibodies at room temperature for 12 hours instead of putting it back in the -20 degrees freezer? Will it still work as normal in future?

A hypothetical question of course (snigger)!

Hal1

They will multiply and a new civilisation will exist and you will be there god. Honestly I dont know....:o

hugoline

Antibodies are proteins, and as with every protein at room temperature... it slowly 'degrades'. However, the 12 hours most likely won't have done much harm. Multiple freeze-thaw-cycles on the other hand can degrade protein to a much higher degree.
The buffer they are in obviousely playes a role as well, sodium azide should inhibit any microbial growth.

Working in a research lab myself (with probably now over 500 Antibodies in use) we keep ours at 4C and not at -20.

I can say as well that a few companies send their antibodies at room temperature (save a few quid I guess) and they work fine for us (WesternBlot / IP / IHC). But as mentioned above, we have one perticular antibody that we insist on being shipped at 4C as it looses its activity when shipped at RT.

My guess... just try and good luck (what are you using it for?)

GuanYin

Depends on the antibody to be honest but a monocloncal requiring -20 stoage should last 24-48 hours.

2Scoops

Should be alright but the easiest thing to do would be to ring technical support of the manufacturer and ask - that's what they're there for:D

Lisapeep

hugoline wrote:

My guess... just try and good luck (what are you using it for?)

I'm using it for immunoprecipitation. Thanks for all your help. I think I'll just give it a go this week and see what happens. I'm guessing it shouldn't all have degraded. A little bit of degradation would probably be fine.

John

It should be fine, I wouldn't leave it out for a few days but it shouldn't be any bother. Left it out on the counter by accident when you went home?

Lisapeep

You got it in one!

Jimoslimos

hugoline wrote:

Multiple freeze-thaw-cycles on the other hand can degrade protein to a much higher degree.

Yeah I'd be worried about getting aggregates as well with multiple freeze-thaws (though I've found that tends to be volume and speed of freezing dependant)