Loading control antibodies confirm equal sample loading and sample quality, a step that shapes how you read a Western blot result. They are chosen for targets expressed at a steady level across almost all cell lines and tissues, such as Actin, GAPDH, PCNA, Vinculin and Tubulin.
St John's Laboratory lists 726 loading control antibodies, used to check that each lane of a Western blot carries an equal, comparable amount of sample.
Confirms equal loadingDetects a target present at a similar level in every lane, so you can judge whether loading was even before interpreting your result of interest.
Checks sample qualityA weak or missing loading control signal can flag degraded or poorly prepared sample.
Selected for steady expressionTargets are chosen for being expressed at a consistent, abundant level across almost all cell lines and tissues.
Common targets
Common targets
Actin, GAPDH, PCNA, Vinculin and Tubulin are the targets researchers reach for most when they need a loading control, since each is expressed at a steady, predictable level across most cell lines and tissue types. Having a range of targets to choose from means you can pick one that sits at a different molecular weight to your protein of interest, or that fits the sample type you're working with.
ActinGAPDHPCNAVinculinTubulin
Clonality
Monoclonal and polyclonal options
Monoclonal options give you a single, consistent epitope for repeat experiments, while polyclonal options bind multiple epitopes on the target for stronger signal detection.
Monoclonal (470)Polyclonal (249)
Need help choosing a loading control?
Contact our technical support team for help matching a loading control to your sample type and blotting conditions. Each product page includes a downloadable datasheet and SDS, with dispatch on overnight priority shipping with gel ice packs.
