Secondary antibodies

Secondary antibodies indirectly detect a primary antibody that specifically binds to the protein of interest. They're made by immunizing a host animal with antibodies from a different species. Immunizing a goat with rabbit IgG will generate goat anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibodies. The secondary antibody selected should match the species in which the primary antibody was raised in, as well as the isotype of the primary antibody of interest. For example, a goat anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibody can be used to detect the signal of rabbit IgG primary antibodies.

Secondary antibodies can be conjugated to fluorophores, such as Alexa Fluor® dyes. Our catalog has secondary antibodies conjugated to nine Alexa Fluor® dyes, which are ideal for multi-color analysis and use in cell imaging and flow cytometry experiments. Learn about Alexa Fluor® conjugated secondary antibodies at Abcam here. 

Secondary antibodies can also be conjugated to enzymes, like HRP and alkaline phosphatase, or proteins like biotin, to amplify the signal of primary antibodies. We offer HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies against diverse species and their isotypes, as well as in fragment and pre-adsorbed forms. Click here to learn more about our HRP offering.