Research reagents comprise a broad array of products that, while validated for performing hypothesis-driven research, are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as reagents intended for in vitro diagnostic (IVD) testing applications. The major research reagent categories include antibodies, proteins, and pre-configured immunoassays such as ELISA kits. These are complemented by various accessory products designed to support their use, with examples being blocking buffers, antibody diluents, and detection solutions. ICL has been producing research reagents for over 40 years, initially with a focus on custom antibody development and characterization but subsequently expanding our product offering to include recombinant and purified proteins, ELISA kits, and accessory products such as animal sera. All our products are manufactured in the USA and are backed by rapid customer service to help keep your project on track.
What are the main categories of research reagents?
Antibodies represent one of the largest and most diverse categories of research reagents, comprising tens of thousands of products for detecting an almost limitless number of targets. Antibody reagents include polyclonal, traditional (hybridoma-derived) monoclonal, and recombinant products, which recognize and bind native or denatured protein antigens, peptides, or recombinantly-expressed epitope tags depending on how they were produced. Proteins are another large class of research reagents, with utility as immunogens for antibody production, as controls for validating immunoassay performance, or as standards for determining the concentration of a target analyte in a test sample. While some research use only (RUO) proteins are supplied as purified products, others are manufactured using recombinant methods. Other widely used research reagents include pre-configured kits based on both antibody and protein reagents, with one of the most popular examples being ELISA due to its sensitivity, flexibility and suitability for high-throughput applications.
What are some common applications of research reagents?
Some of the most common applications of research reagents are the established immunoassay formats - ELISA, immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot, immunocytochemistry (ICC), immunoprecipitation (IP), and flow cytometry. More recently, these have been joined by lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs), which are typically transitioned to an IVD setup following proof-of-principle testing. A shared feature of all these methods is the use of antibodies for analyte detection. However, while ELISA and immunoprecipitation bind targets that are free in solution, IHC and ICC are instead used to visualize analytes in tissue sections or plated cells, respectively. Western blot involves separating a mixture of proteins according to their molecular weight using an electrical current, before their transfer to a membrane for detection, while flow cytometry is unique in that it allows analysis of individual cells in suspension.
High-quality research reagents
Whatever the chosen application, experimental accuracy hinges on using high-quality research reagents from a knowledgeable supplier. Primary and secondary antibodies should be rigorously validated for quality and consistency, while proteins must demonstrate high purities to avoid cross-reactivities that could generate a false-positive result. Our product portfolio includes a broad range of primary antibodies to human and animal markers, as well as antibodies to epitope tags such as c-Myc, V5, 6-His, and GST. We also offer secondary antibodies with utility across multiple research applications, like our HRP-conjugated antibodies that are used for ELISA, IHC, LFIA and western blot. Accompanying our antibody products, our protein offerings include a comprehensive selection of recombinant and high-purity native proteins, including our 12 epitope tag control, which is intended for western blot. We’ve also developed an extensive selection of ELISA kits for either human or animal-based research.
Why choose ICL?
With proven expertise in producing the highest quality primary and secondary antibodies, proteins, ELISA kits, and reference standards, ICL is your partner of choice to advance your research. Our customers include many of the world’s leading IVD manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions, who rely on us for both off-the-shelf and custom products at varying scales. All our products are manufactured in the USA under rigorous process control and are backed by rapid customer service to keep your project on schedule.