How Much Does It Cost To Make A Custom Antibody?

Creating custom antibodies is becoming easier as technology advances, and it is possible to make them in enormous quantities. Biochemist researchers have been concerned with developing custom antibodies since they are essential in most research. Most people, however, are unaware of the total price of the procedure and would instead purchase an already generated custom antibody for vaccine and medicine production and research. Further, Most scientists are conflicted between creating their antibodies and purchasing them. Any of these approaches, though, has advantages and disadvantages.

The following article will examine the price of producing an antibody.

What are Antibodies?

Antibodies are essential components in the body that help provide immunity and fight diseases in living organisms. They instantly respond to any foreign invasion of the body. Custom antibodies are made in the laboratory using simple components and reagents. Antigens are the most crucial components used in custom antibody production. A laboratory animal such as a rabbit is immunized for custom antibody production using antigens. The antigens help to induce the production of antibodies in the serum in a process called antibody validation.

Process Of Custom Antibody Production 

To understand the average cost of custom antibody production, you must consider the essential requirements and the production process. Applying the ideal technology can help simplify the whole process of custom antibody production. Two major types of antibodies, Polyclonal and Monoclonal, are produced differently.

Monoclonal antibody production is time-consuming and more expensive than polyclonal antibodies. The significant difference is that the polyclonal antibody production process is simple as the required antibody is collected directly in the serum after the lab animal is injected with antigens and has induced the production of enough antibodies. Comparatively, monoclonal antibodies are made in the spleen cells and later integrated with the myeloma cells.

Every time you produce custom antibodies, you must identify the essential amino acids in the antibody in a process known as antibody sequencing. A custom antibody is made in the process; Peptide production, selecting the right lab animal, immunization of the animal, antibody collection, and purification. It’s good to note that every step has its fundamental requirement and cost. The total expenses in every step are then calculated to determine the final cost of custom antibody production.

Image source 

Cost of Producing an Antibody

Several factors help to determine the cost of custom antibody production. They include;

Methods Used In the Production of Custom Antibody and Purification Process

The type and method applied in antibody production help to determine the final cost of the whole process. To get the final price/total cost, you must include the cost of gene synthesis, antigens, recombinant expression, protein expression, and purification.

Most laboratories and researchers approximate the cost of custom antibody production to be around $899. Since producing monoclonal antibodies is more complex, the process tends to be slow, and the price can range between $5000- $14000. Polyclonal antibodies require a simple process and can go for $1000.

Nevertheless, you can always cut the expenses of custom antibody production by creating your antibody. Firstly, you needed a guaranteed supply of specific antigens required in the production supply. Enough antigens help you save the expenses of producing antigens whenever you want to produce antibodies. Secondly, ensure that you have a suitable and affordable purification technique. In antibody production, the purification process becomes expensive, making the whole process costly.  

Stages Of Production

Custom antibody production is more costly in the early stages, but production costs decrease with time. As the process advances, you can have well-developed and robust antibody production methods and reagents that enable you to save the cost of the whole process. For example, you must synthesize peptides, genes, proteins, antigens, and other fundamental components in the first stages, which proves expensive.

Nevertheless, they can be used severally to produce more custom antibodies after large-scale production. Another clear example is getting the right lab animal for antibody production. If you don’t have one, you will have to incur the expenses of buying and maintaining it in the right environment. However, one lab animal can be used repeatedly to produce more antibodies which can help you save great cost.

Which is The Best Option; Buying or Producing Antibodies? 

Biochemists and researchers are constantly torn between buying an already-made antibody or producing their antibody. Buying custom antibodies is fast and cheap since you won’t have to go through the long and complex process of making the antibodies. But, this method has its disadvantages. For example, you may not get the right antibody for your research, and the quality of the antibodies you buy is not guaranteed. 

In addition, you may not have a clear idea of the components, process, and reagents used in the production process. On the other hand, producing your antibodies allows you to use the right components that are ideal for you and the quality that meets your standards. You can also make specific antibodies you need for your research.

Image source 

Final Thoughts

Though the process of producing custom antibodies looks expensive and complicated, the higher cost is only incurred in the early stages of the process. After creating a firm and reliable supply of all the essential requirements, producing custom antibodies becomes cheap and easy.

It would be best to prepare beforehand whenever you want to produce custom antibodies. This will help to make the whole process quick and smooth. Always make sure you have all the fundamental requirements before starting the process.

Leave a Comment

Exit mobile version