Monday, April 8, 2013

The Products and Services Offered By Biotechnology Firms

By Armand Zeiders


There are many cutting-edge services currently provided by biotechnology companies. These services help scientists and researchers in many different areas, including the development of new medicines and vaccines as well as in the field of agriculture. Here are just a few of the services that a biotech firm might provide for its clients.

One particular service commonly outsourced to biotechnology labs is the creation of specific monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies produce just one single type of antibody, and this can be cloned many times, which might be exactly what you need, particularly for commercialization. These substances can help one study the structure and function of a specific protein and can be used to develop different treatments for viruses and other diseases. You also can use them to type and classify a certain pathogen, which you might be studying to better understand its structure and effect on cells.

The creation of polyclonal antibodies is another service provided by many companies. These are less costly than the monoclonal antibodies and can be used for a process known as immunoprecipitation where one defined protein is isolated. Whether you need monoclonal antibody services or polyclonal antibody services depends primarily on the type of experiment you are conducting or the type of research in which you are engaged.

A biotech firm might provide several different polyclonal antibody services, including antibodies generated against a recombinant protein, against other proteins or antigens that the researcher provides or perhaps against synthetic peptides. Monoclonal antibody services include providing the researchers with mother clones, single clones produced from each mother clone, vials of cell cultures and more.

Another service that biotechnology companies sometimes provide is the construction of oligonucleotides, which are short chains of DNA or RNA. These molecules are often used for genetic testing and also to help medical experts screen subjects for specific viruses or diseases. Forensic science is another area where oligonucleotides are utilized. There are different types you can have created, including modified DNA oligos, RNA oligos, unmodified DNA oligos and plate oligos.

Because the services these laboratories provide are used for crucial medical studies, quality control is hugely important. Each part of the process is monitored to ensure that the products are manufactured perfectly and consistently.




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