A Guide to the Monoclonal Antibody Production Process

The monoclonal antibody production process plays a vital role in biotechnology, diagnostics, and therapeutic development. At Cell Culture Company, we specialize in supporting every phase of this process—from early development to large-scale production.

Unlike polyclonal antibodies, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are highly specific, binding to a single epitope on an antigen. This specificity makes them ideal for targeted therapies and reliable diagnostic assays. Multiple methods exist to produce mAbs, including hybridoma technology, recombinant gene expression, and phage display.

Hybridoma Technology

Hybridoma technology remains one of the most widely used techniques for producing monoclonal antibodies. The process begins with the immunization of a host animal, usually a mouse, with a target antigen. This step causes the animal’s immune system to produce antigen-specific B cells.

The production includes:

  • Harvesting antibody-producing B cells from the spleen
  • Fusing these B cells with myeloma cells to create hybridomas
  • Screening for clones that produce high-affinity antibodies
  • Expanding selected clones using cell culture
  • Harvesting antibodies from the cell culture media

These antibodies can be purified through affinity chromatography or used in their crude form depending on the application.

Recombinant mAb Production Using Synthetic Genes

Recombinant monoclonal antibodies provide a scalable and consistent alternative to traditional methods. This technique starts by cloning antibody-coding DNA sequences into mammalian expression vectors. Once introduced into host cells, these vectors direct the production of functional antibodies.

This method offers significant benefits:

  • Eliminates batch-to-batch variability
  • Avoids the need for animals
  • Enables precise engineering of antibody structure

Recombinant Production from Existing Hybridomas

Sometimes, researchers wish to convert existing hybridoma-derived antibodies into recombinant form. This transition ensures long-term reproducibility and consistency. To achieve this, scientists isolate the antibody-coding genes from hybridomas and express them in mammalian cell systems.

This approach preserves antibody function and improves manufacturing control.

Phage Display Technology

Phage display allows the rapid selection of high-affinity monoclonal antibodies—without needing animal immunization. This in vitro technique involves:

  • Constructing a diverse antibody gene library displayed on bacteriophages
  • Screening for phages that bind to a specific antigen
  • Refining binding affinity through selection rounds

Phage display is especially useful for making antibodies against non-immunogenic or toxic targets.

Let Cell Culture Company Support Your Next Project

Whether you need traditional or recombinant routes, our team provides expertise in the monoclonal antibody production process. We offer:

  • Custom hybridoma generation and screening
  • Recombinant antibody development from gene sequence or existing hybridomas
  • Small- to large-scale antibody production using mammalian expression systems
  • Downstream purification, testing, and aliquoting

Let us help you bring reliable antibody tools to your research or antibody manufacturing program. Contact us today at 763.786.0302 or through our contact form. We’re here to support you!

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