A Guide to Maximizing Data Yield Per Dollar
In neuroscience, the protein tau has become a popular target to unravel the mechanisms that underlie diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal lobe dementia, and many more clinical conditions. Because so many researchers are targeting tau, an abundance of immunoreagents have become available on the market for its study. How does one sift through the sea of products to choose the best tau antibody to maximize data yield per dollar?
Because tau is such a highly studied protein, an abundance of companies are offering antibodies targeting tau across different clones and immunogens based on this protein, as well as antibodies with unique conjugations, specialized formulation, or PTM targets. At HUABIO alone, we offer more than 50 tau antibodies [link to landing page or to product catalog?]. Which is the right choice for a given experiment?
When selecting a tau antibody, it is important to invest some time upfront into considering which antibody is right for your experiment. Which antibodies are validated for your application(s) of interest? Does formulation matter [link to PBS only tau blog]? What epitope on tau is being targeted? By considering these factors carefully before purchasing, less time and funds will be spent on an immunoreagent that isn’t the best fit.
Consider the significance of phospho-tau. Researchers are highly invested in uncovering the impact on phosphorylation as it relates to the cellular signaling that becomes dysregulated to disrupt tau’s microtubule binding and promote its aggregation. Many different vendors offer many antibodies that target tau phospho-sites, so which gives the most experimental return on investment?
HUABIO’s quality standards translate directly into antibodies that are consistently high performing, providing superior signal at lower dilutions than competitors. Consider immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues for tau phosphorylation at Ser404, a site whose role in microtubule-binding is currently being uncovered. Compared to our competitors, HUABIO was able to brilliantly stain this phospho-site at an extremely low dilution (1:1000) relative to competitors A and B, who respectively needed 1:100-1:250 and 1:200-1:800 dilution ranges to target the same epitope. Less antibody used per experiment opens the door for additional replicates and conditions that will drive breakthroughs related to these otherwise still-emerging phospho-sites on tau.
This is not just the case for immunohistochemistry nor Ser404 – consider Ser199, a tau phospho-site that is reported to assist the formation of paired helical filaments, a structural component to the neurofibrillary tangles that are hallmarks of aggregation in tauopathies. Compared to competitor C at 1:1000, HUABIO’s antibody targeting Ser199 can be used for western blotting at half the concentration (1:2000). This lower concentration does not sacrifice signal – in fact, more distinct bands corresponding to tau isoforms are observed when HUABIO’s product is used for immunoblot analysis of mouse brain tissue.
When weighing the options of which tau antibody is right for your next experiment, these considerations are essential for designing an experiment that can be readily reproduced without the cost of replenishing antibody due to background issues or the requirement of high concentrations needed for signal. HUABIO is proud to consistently deliver antibodies that outperform competitors at lower concentrations without sacrificing signal or background.
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