Within the Human Protein Atlas project, antibodies are used to study the localization of protein in human tissues and cells. To generate the antibodies recombinant expression clones are produced from human RNA pools by cDNA synthesis, cloning and plasmid purification. These clones produce what is called Protein Epitope Signature Tags (PrESTs), a selected part of the target protein that should be recognized by antibodies.

Johan Rockberg, Associate Professor in antibody technology and directed evolution at KTH - Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden is the group leader for the epitope mapping and therapeutic antibodies group within the Human Protein Atlas...Read more

The Human Protein Atlas has since the first array validated antibody in November 2004 now passed 50 000 protein microarray validated antibodies.

The Human Protein Atlas contains information for a large majority of all human protein-coding genes regarding the expression and localization of the corresponding proteins based on both RNA and protein data. For the protein data, antibodies are used to show localization, and now 50 000 antibodies have been produced and verified within the project.

– This is a true heroic effort, says professor Peter Nilsson, site director at the SciLifeLab-site in Stockholm...Read more

In an article in a special edition of Proteomics, on protein arrays researchers from the Human Protein Atlas describe the development of a novel assay concept, which combines the flexibility and multiplexing capacity of single-binder assays and the specificity and sensitivity aspects of dual-binder assays. They developed a multiplexed dual-binder assay procedure, which is based on a sequential protein capture.

– This assay is a great addition to the antibody-array toolbox of the Biobank Profiling Group, both to support related assay development activities and for biomarker discovery applications, says Burcu Ayoglu, first author of the study...Read more