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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305619
Title: The biochemical properties of antibodies and their fragments

Author
item Hnasko, Robert

Submitted to: Methods in Molecular Biology
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/2015
Publication Date: 7/14/2015
Citation: Hnasko, R.M. 2015. The biochemical properties of antibodies and their fragments. In: Hnasko, R., editor. ELISA: Methods and protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology. 1st edition. New York, NY: Humana Press. p. 1-14. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2742-5.

Interpretive Summary: This manuscript provides detailed analysis of the biochemical structure and function of antibodies and how to use antibodies and their fragments in diagnostic assays.

Technical Abstract: Immunoglobulins (Ig) or antibodies are a powerful molecular recognition tools that can be used to identify minute quantities of a given target analyte. Their antigen binding properties define both the sensitivity and selectivity of an immunoassay. Understanding the biochemical properties of this class of protein will provide users with the knowledge necessary to select the appropriate antibody composition to maximize immunoassay results. Here we define the general biochemical properties of antibodies, their similarities and differences, explain how these properties influence their functional relationship to an antigen target and describe a method for the enzymatic fragmentation of antibodies into smaller functional parts.