Secondary antibodies bind to the primary antibody to assist in detection, classification and isolation of interest antigen. To ensure detection, the secondary antibody must be specific for the isotype and antibody species of the primary antibody in the application. Secondary antibodies are typically polyclonal.
Secondary antibody conjugates are important tools in biochemical and cell-based analysis. Enzyme-labeled secondary antibodies have high catalytic turnover rates and are routinely used in various assays for their robust and rapid signal generation. Secondary antibodies conjugated to fluorescent dyes offer brighter signals and multiplexing capabilities in cell analysis and protein analysis applications including immunofluorescence microscopy and cell imaging. For both enzyme-labeled and dye-labeled secondary antibodies, high sensitivity and signal amplification are two desirable qualities when detecting target antigens of low abundance.
