Western blot solutions

Western blot is a commonly-used technique designed to separate and identify proteins from tissue or cell extracts by molecular weight. Western blots can be performed on whole cell lysates to determine total protein expression, or on subcellular fractions in order to determine in which cellular location the protein is expressed (e.g. lysate, nucleus, chromatin bound, mitochondrial).
Western blots can be used to look at endogenous protein expression to help understand the biology of your target of interest, and can also be used to assess the success of genetic manipulations such as knock-downs, knock-outs, knock-ins or overexpression.
To be confident in your results, you need to be confident in your antibodies. Our portfolio includes a broad range of recombinant monoclonal antibodies validated in western blot, including with knock-outs where possible.
Loading controls
Loading controls are needed for Western blot to make sure loading across samples is even and to ensure any changes in target protein expression you see across different samples types are genuine. This is especially important when looking at negative samples such as knock-out cell lines or cells treated with siRNA to knockdown gene expression. A good loading control gives you confidence that your negative sample is a true negative. This ensures your experimental findings will be to the standard required for publication in peer-reviewed journals and your work is reproducible by other scientists.
A good loading control is expressed equally in all your samples, so housekeeping genes are often chosen. Some examples for cell lysates are beta-actin, alpha tubulin, GAPDH. More specific loading controls may also be chosen depending on your experiment e.g. nucleophosmin as a nuclear loading control, or Histone H3 for chromatin samples
Product highlights
Anti-GAPDH antibody [6C5] - Loading Control
- Most-cited GAPDH monoclonal antibody clone on the market
- Tried and trusted by researchers since 2002
- The 6C5 antibody clone is cited in over 14500 publications

Anti-GADPH antibody [EPR16891] - Loading Control
- Cited in over 2400 publications
- Recombinant manufacturing for ultimate reliability
- Validated across multiple applications

Anti-Sodium Potassium ATPase antibody [EP1845Y]
- Cited in over 350 applications
- Tried and trusted by researchers since 2009
- Recombinant manufacturing for superior reproducibility

Anti-tag antibodies
Anti-tag antibodies are highly specific antibodies that provide a method to localize proteins which have been fused with a tag.
Tags can help you purify proteins, and are also used when studying a novel protein for which antibodies are not yet commonly available. Common tags include FLAG, GST, 6xHis, myc and many more. Abcam provide a wide range of anti-tag antibodies validated in a wide range of applications, including western blot.
Product highlights
Anti-GFP antibody [EPR14104]
- Highly-cited
- Recombinant format for unrivaled batch-to-batch consistency
- Validated in multiple applications

Anti-DDDDK tag (Binds to FLAG® tag sequence) antibody [EPR20018-251]
- Highly-cited
- Recombinant format for unrivaled batch-to-batch consistency
- Validated in multiple applications

Anti-HA tag antibody [RM1058]
- High-performing recombinant multiclonal
- Validated in multiple applications

Recombinant multiclonal antibodies
Abcam’s recombinant multiclonal antibodies combine the advantages of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies into a single product. Multiclonals retain the high affinity and specificity of a monoclonal with the ability to bind to multiple epitopes found in a polyclonal. This can be highly advantageous when researching a protein with multiple modifications which are functionally important, and enables you to track the correct combination of epitopes. Importantly, unlike a traditional polyclonal, where batch variability is an inherent feature, recombinant multiclonals retain the batch-to-batch consistency of a monoclonal ensuring you have trouble-free, consistent results throughout your research.
Product highlights
Anti-Histone H3 (citrulline R2 + R8 + R17) antibody [RM1001]
- Important biomarker for neutrophil extracellular traps
- Pan-PTM reactive antibody
- Recombinant format for stability

Anti-Lamin A + Lamin C antibody [RM1093]
- Single antibody targeting lamins A and C
- Recombinant format for ultimate reliability

Antibodies to modified targets
The post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins is an important biological process, and over 400 different types of PTMs have been identified to date. Many of these modifications are reversible and are responsible for inducing a conformational or functional change or can occur as part of a signal transduction pathway
Some of the more common modifications, like phosphorylation, acetylation, and methylation, are involved in gene regulation and enzyme activity. Abnormal expression of PTMs has been implicated in the occurrence and development of various neurological and metabolic diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, as well as many cancers.
Identifying and quantifying PTMs is critical for a fundamental understanding of cell biology and for elucidating disease mechanisms and diagnosis. Characterizing PTMs heavily relies on highly specific antibodies which are an essential component for detecting and enriching PTMs.
Our range of nearly a thousand recombinant monoclonal antibodies targeting PTMs have been characterized with various techniques, including peptide array, dot blot and ELISA, to confirm both specificity and minimal cross-reactivity with unmodified or related modifications.
Product highlights
Anti-Alpha-synuclein (phospho S129) antibody [EP1536Y]
- Cited in over 370 publications
- Recombinant format for high batch-to-batch consistency, giving you reproducible results

Anti-gamma H2A.X (phospho S139) antibody [EP854(2)Y]
- Important marker of DNA damage
- Over 270 citations
- Recombinant format for unrivaled reproducibility

Anti-SMAD3 (pS423/425) + SMAD5 (pS463/465 ) + SMAD1 (pS463/465) + SMAD2 (pS465/467) antibody [EP823Y]
- Reversible phosphorylation important in the TGF-beta signaling pathway
- Over 575 citations
- Recombinant format for high batch-to-batch consistency, giving you reproducible results
