Antibodies are some of the most critical reagents in life science and medical research. However, the use of poorly characterized antibodies can generate significant problems – costing valuable time and money. According to an article published in Nature in 2015, an estimated $350 million in the United States and $800 million worldwide is wasted each year as a result of failed or unreliable experiments.
While these issues have been discussed for quite some time, 2016 represented a major shift in the research community’s approach to addressing these challenges. In September, Nature Methods published the first proposed strategies to create standards for validating* antibody specificity, brought forth by the International Working Group for Antibody Validation (IWGAV). Later that month, the Global Biological Standards Institute (GBSI) held the Asilomar Antibody Validation Workshop, where key stakeholders across the industry discussed strategies for validating antibodies, building on the priorities outlined in the Nature Methods piece.
The proposal and community discussion are the start of a long process that will require continual cultivation and collaboration. While antibody users, producers, publishers, and funders work to align on a path forward, suppliers must add transparency and confirm specificity of their antibodies to help address the loss of time and resources. Towards this end, Thermo Fisher Scientific has adopted validation standards for our antibody portfolio in line with the recommendations of the International Working Group for Antibody Validation (IWGAV). Using these new Thermo Fisher Scientific specificity validation standards, Invitrogen antibodies are being tested for target specificity in addition to the robust application validation already done to further ensure successful experimental outcomes.
To ensure that an antibody is binding to the correct target, Thermo Fisher Scientific is beginning to test their antibodies using one or more of their specificity pillars:
1. IP-mass spectrometry, where antibody targets are identified by mass spec following isolation by immunoprecipitation
2. Genetic modification, where antibodies are tested using cell lines following knockdown or knockout technologies
3.Independent antibody verification in which measurement of target expression is performed using two differentially raised antibodies recognizing the same protein target
4. Biological verification in which antibodies are tested by detecting known changes in protein levels or modifications based on biological events or cellular treatments
As Thermo Fisher Scientific expands specificity testing of its extensive portfolio of antibodies, data showing specificity verification will be seen on their product detail pages and information sheets.
In addition to this rigorous specificity testing, they provide functional application validation of their antibodies to show researchers the antibodies will work in specific research applications. Since 2010, Thermo Fisher Scientific has added more than 100,000 pieces of data to its website and instituted standard practices to test broader applications and species coverage. Rigorous application testing is routinely performed in various techniques including, but not limited to: western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and ELISA.
In addition to rigorous application validation that helps provide assurance the antibodies perform in applications, the specificity validation will provide researchers further confidence in their experimental outcomes to help save time and hopefully enabling accelerated discovery.
Efforts toward gaining collective support for specific validation methodologies are certainly a step in the right direction. The science community will have to work diligently to ensure these new standards are adhered to and that a final consensus is achieved. Thermo Fisher Scientific has demonstrated its commitment to serving science through its support of the IWGAV and advancing new technologies that improve antibody specificity validation. They encourage other constituents like journals and grant agencies to do the same by embracing methodologies and technologies that adhere to industry guidelines and best practices.
*The use or any variation of the word “validation” refers only to research use antibodies that were subject to functional testing to confirm that the antibody can be used with the research techniques indicated. It does not ensure that the product(s) was validated for clinical or diagnostic uses.
For Research Use Only. Not for Use in Diagnostic Procedures.