The CAbS Antibody Production Platform (Custom Antibody Service) is a CSIC service, located at the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC, NB4D group) and integrated into CIBER-BBN and the NANBIOSIS scientific infrastructure, recognized as an ICTS by the Ministry of Science. With more than twenty years of experience in antibody development against small molecules, CAbS offers personalized monoclonal and polyclonal antibody production services, as well as the synthesis of immunogens, bioconjugates, molecular probes, and biohybrid nanoparticles.
The service has laboratories equipped for hybridoma culture and the characterization of the obtained antibodies, and features a certified quality management system according to the ISO 9001 standard. CAbS works closely with users to adapt each project to their specific needs, providing specialized scientific advice from immunogen design to implementation in the immunoassay.
Its activity covers projects in the biomedical, food safety, and environmental fields, establishing itself as an international benchmark in the development of immunoreagents and applied immunotechnologies.
Haptens are small molecules that, on their own, cannot generate an immune response and, therefore, need to be subsequently conjugated to a carrier molecule to become immunogenic.
CAbS offers a specialized service in the custom design and synthesis of haptens, providing personalized chemical strategies for each analyte. Each hapten is unique and requires a specific functionalization approach that allows its subsequent conjugation to a carrier protein without altering its antigenic structure.
The hapten synthesis service includes:
Once the hapten is synthesized, CAbS offers a bioconjugation service, through which small molecules, proteins, or antibodies are covalently linked to different biomolecules or markers. This process is essential for generating immunogens, assay reagents, or molecular detection probes.
The service includes:
Bioconjugations can be performed between small molecules and proteins (e.g., BSA, KLH, HCH), between protein-protein conjugates, or between antibodies and enzymes, as well as with oligosaccharides, carbon nanotubes, or synthetic polymers.
CAbS produces antibodies using standard or personalized protocols, with special emphasis on immunogen design to ensure high affinity and selectivity. The immunogen can be provided by the client or synthesized and conjugated at CAbS. All animal procedures comply with ethical regulations (Royal Decree 53/2013).
Monoclonal antibody production (in mice or rats):
Following cryopreservation, small and medium-scale in vitro antibody production can be carried out.
Polyclonal antibody production (in rabbits or other species):
Antibody purification consists of isolating the immunoglobulin from the serum (pAbs) or the hybridoma culture supernatant (mAbs) until the required purity is reached. The chosen method depends on the intended use.
Available techniques include:
CAbS develops immunoassays for the detection and quantification of target analytes (contaminants, pathogens, allergens, biomarkers, etc.) in biological, food, or environmental samples.
The typical process includes:
The result is a validated immunoassay adapted to the client’s objectives.
Monoclonal antibody isotyping
Conjugation of antibodies or antigens with various markers
Cryopreservation of hybridomas in liquid nitrogen
Small and medium-scale monoclonal antibody production
AKTA Pure is a chromatography system designed for high-precision purification of proteins, antibodies, haptens, and bioconjugates. It combines advanced automation with a flexible protocol design, allowing for reproducible, scalable, and efficient purification processes.
Thanks to its compatibility with various purification strategies, including affinity chromatography, ion exchange, and size exclusion, AKTA Pure ensures high purity and the preservation of the biological activity of the target molecules. Its intuitive software and precise control make it ideal for both small-scale research applications and medium-scale production, offering reliability, traceability, and consistent performance across all projects.
This equipment was acquired with the support of European ERDF funds.
The ARPEGE 110 Nl101 cryogenic container (AIR LIQUIDE) is designed for the safe and efficient storage of biological samples in liquid nitrogen. By operating in the liquid phase, this container ensures stable cryogenic conditions for the long-term preservation of sensitive materials such as hybridomas and cell lines.
Equipped with the CryoMemo electronic monitoring system, it provides real-time visualization and recording of the liquid nitrogen level and temperature, improving safety, traceability, and sample integrity.
Custom Antibody Service (CAbS) incorporates this new equipment as a result of its participation in project FICTS1420-27, selected by MINECO for co-financing by the ERDF Program in ICTS 2014-2020.
