There are numerous benefits of polyclonal antibodies as tools for assay-specific target discovery and detection. While all antibody forms—polyclonal, hybridoma-based monoclonal and recombinant monoclonal—have pros and cons for development, validation and use, polyclonal antibodies have become embroiled in controversy concerning data reproducibility. In this review, best practices for developing and using polyclonal antibodies are discussed, along with potential pitfalls and how to avoid them, and the benefits to their use.
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