Polyclonal Antibodies

Primary Antibodies

Polyclonal Antibodies

Broad‑spectrum detection through multiple epitope recognition

Polyclonal antibodies are secreted by multiple B‑cell lineages in the body. They are a collection of immunoglobulin molecules that react against a specific antigen across a variety of different epitopes.

How it works

Production through host immunisation

Polyclonal antibodies are typically produced by injecting the host animal with an immunogen, which stimulates a primary immune response and production of the required antibody. The resulting antiserum contains a heterogeneous population of antibodies that recognise multiple epitopes on the target antigen, providing broad coverage and signal amplification.

Category benefits

Why use polyclonal antibodies?

✓ Multiple epitope recognition
Because polyclonal antibodies come from multiple B‑cell lineages, they react against a specific antigen across a variety of different epitopes rather than a single binding site.
✓ Broader signal detection
Binding multiple epitopes on the same target can give a stronger overall signal compared with a single‑epitope monoclonal antibody.
✓ Wide host species range
St John's Laboratory offers polyclonal antibodies across a range of host species, including goat, rabbit, chicken, and guinea pig.
✓ Cost‑effective for screening
Polyclonal antibodies are often more affordable to produce than monoclonals, making them a practical choice for initial screening and exploratory studies.
Where they're used

Typical applications

✓ Western blotting
Polyclonal antibodies are routinely used in Western blotting to detect target proteins, with the multi‑epitope recognition often producing strong, clear bands even at low expression levels.
✓ Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
The broad epitope coverage of polyclonals makes them well suited for IHC, where antigen retrieval can sometimes mask individual epitopes. Having multiple binding sites increases the chance of successful staining.
✓ Immunoprecipitation (IP)
Polyclonal antibodies are effective for immunoprecipitation because the mixture of antibody clones can bind multiple sites on the target, improving capture efficiency in pull‑down assays.
✓ ELISA
In sandwich ELISA and other plate‑based assays, polyclonal antibodies are often used as capture or detection reagents, where their ability to recognise multiple epitopes enhances assay sensitivity.

Need help choosing an antibody?

Contact our technical support team for help selecting an antibody for your target of interest. Each product page includes a downloadable datasheet and SDS, with dispatch on overnight priority shipping with gel ice packs.

Not sure whether you need polyclonal or monoclonal?

Compare the two antibody types to find the right fit for your assay.

 Monoclonal vs polyclonal: which to choose
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