With the Zip Alexa Fluor Rapid Antibody Labeling kits, can I store the labeled antibody after the 15 mins reaction?
No, it is intended for immediate use. If you wish to store your labeled antibody after the reaction, it should undergo a post-reaction clean-up using either size exclusion resin (such as Bio-Rad BioGel P-30) or Dye Removal Columns (Cat No. 22858).
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Why do the Zip Alexa Fluor Rapid Antibody Labeling kits not require a post-reaction purification step?
This is because we have optimized the amount of dye to label 100 µg of antibody per reaction and after the incubation time of 15 mins, most of the reactive dye is either bound or unreactive due to spontaneous hydrolysis, leaving little or no reactive dye to label your sample.
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I am planning to use one of the Zip Alexa Fluor Rapid Antibody Labeling kits. My antibody is shipped in Tris buffer with BSA added as a stabilizer. Do I need to remove the BSA or Tris prior to the reaction?
Yes, the BSA and any component with a primary amine (such as the Tris buffer) would react with the amine-reactive Alexa Fluor dyes used in these labeling kits, resulting in less optimal labeling of the antibody. For small volume purification of the antibody, you may use either Nab Protein A/G Spin Kit, 0.2 mL (Cat No. 89950), Protein A/G Magnetic Agarose Beads (Cat No. 78609), or Melon Gel IgG Spin Purification Kit (Cat No. 45206).
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For the Zip Alexa Fluor Rapid Antibody Labeling kits, why does the antibody have to be at a 1 mg/mL concentration?
The 1 mg/mL concentration of the antibody (100 µg of antibody in a 100 µL volume) allows for optimal reaction kinetics. A more dilute solution of antibody would exhibit suboptimal labeling due to a greater amount of reactive dye lost to spontaneous hydrolysis; the reactive group on the dyes is labile in aqueous solutions.
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What is included in the Zip Alexa Fluor Rapid Antibody Labeling kits?
Each kit contains 3 vials of solid sodium bicarbonate (Zip buffer reagent, Component A), 3 vials of the Alexa Fluor reactive dye (Component B), and a Quick Reference Card. Sufficient reagents are provided to label 100 µg of antibody per reaction (100 µL of a 1 mg/mL antibody solution), 3 reactions per kit.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.