The Monoclonal Antibody Facility at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation assists faculty by generating hybridoma cell lines and producing monoclonal antibodies that will advance their research activities, provide diagnostic reagents, or both. Another goal is to bring the most modern methods in the field into the Research Foundation.
Monoclonal antibodies are key reagents in research and diagnosis.
Antibodies can provide essential tools to uncover the tissue distribution and subcellular location of the protein as well as the ability to quantify the level of the antigen. The advantages of monoclonals over conventional polyclonal antibodies include their exquisite specificity for an antigen and the fact that the hybridomas can provide a uniform and virtually unending supply of the antibody. The Research Foundation monoclonal antibody laboratory has operated under the direction of James Lessard, Ph.D. , for the past 18 years in the Division of Developmental Biology . Many of these antibodies have had a significant impact on research programs in the Research Foundation and academic community. This facility provides a unique core service in this area.