Multiclonal antibodies are designed to combine the specificity and high affinity of monoclonal antibodies with the robustness and broad epitope recognition of polyclonal antibodies. These reagents offer a unique solution, providing consistent performance while targeting multiple epitopes of the same antigen, enhancing detection sensitivity and reducing background noise in various applications.

What are multiclonal antibodies?

Multiclonal antibodies are a defined mixture of carefully selected individual monoclonal antibodies designed to recognize different epitopes on the same antigen. They’re an ideal solution for applications that traditionally use polyclonal antibodies, bringing the same specificity and reproducibility benefits as monoclonal antibodies.

The mix of antibodies that makesmake the multiclonal antibodies is carefully controlled: . Each monoclonal antibody in the mix is developed from a defined set of genes that encode a specific set of antibodies with the desired characteristics. This ensures batch-to-batch consistency and reproducibility of results.

The majority of multiclonal antibodies offered at Abcam are recombinant –.  oOur recombinant multiclonal range was awarded the CiteAb Innovation Award 2022.

Are multiclonal antibodies a good alternative to polyclonal antibodies?

Yes, multiclonal antibodies are a reliable replacement for polyclonal antibodies. Multiclonal antibodies consist of a controlled mixture of monoclonal antibodies targeting different epitopes, offering higher specificity and consistency than traditional polyclonal antibodies, which are derived from multiple clones without specificity control whilst still providing excellent sensitivity.

Figures 1 and 2 below compare the sensitivity of a polyclonal and recombinant multiclonal antibody for CD133, histone H3 (citrulline R2 + R8 + R17), and GFAP.

^{Figure 1. Our recombinant anti-Histone H3 (citrulline R2 + R8 + R17) multiclonal antibody [RM1001], ab281584 (left), tested in multiple sample types in western blot against our polyclonal anti-Histone H3 (citrulline R2 + R8 + R17) antibody, ab5103.}

^{Figure 2. Immunofluorescent analysis of mouse primary neural/glia cells labeling GFAP with our recombinant anti-GFAP multiclonal antibody, ab278054 (left), against our polyclonal anti-GFAP antibody, ab7260.}

When should I use a multiclonal antibody?

You can use multiclonals in any situation where a polyclonal would traditionally be used but with additional benefits, including:

• Post translational modifications (PTMs): while combining a number of these modifications can be difficult with just one monoclonal, multis can help you achieve multiple PTMs on targets.
• Low abundance proteins/targets: multiclonal epitope targeting allows greater sensitivity at lower concentrations.
• Pan targets: each monoclonal in the mix can target a different form of the pan target. In the broad range of cytokeratins where a monoclonal would only be able to detect one or two targets, we can now produce recombinant multiclonals against the whole family.
• Covers multiple species: where the target protein has low homology between the same protein of different species, we can mix monoclonals to different species to allow for detection across a range of species.
• Broader epitope coverage.

Can multiclonal antibodies be used in flow cytometry?

Yes, multiclonal antibodies can be effectively used in flow cytometry. They provide the advantage of multiplexing – simultaneously detecting different epitopes of the same protein, enhancing the assay's resolution.

Are multiclonal antibodies suitable for western blot applications?

Absolutely, multiclonal antibodies are excellent for western blot applications. Their ability to detect multiple epitopes on the same antigen ensures robust signal detection and helps overcome the issue of protein denaturation or epitope masking often encountered in western blotting.