Blocking buffer reagent BSA-Block

laboratory

BSA-Block is a well established, versatile blocker for many applications. The high purity and control of the raw materials enable good lot-to-lot consistency for this blocker based on BSA. Therefore a high reliability of the assay over years is obtained even when different lots are used. If you experience background due to non-specific binding even when using BSA-Block, we recommend using The Blocking Solution. For general laboratory use Benefits of BSA blocking Albumins form a large fraction of the matrix where antibodies can be naturally found. The surrounding matrix can have considerable effects on binding activity of the antibodies. One consequence is that some antibodies need the presence of albumins in their direct surrounding to achieve optimal binding characteristics. In case of using an albumin-sensitive capture antibody it makes sense to use BSA-Block as blocking reagent. During blocking with BSA-Block, albumin molecules adsorb closely to the coated capture antibodies und enable good binding of the antibodies. This can be observed in a better binding capacity of coated capture antibodies blocked with BSA-Block compared to blocking with other blockers. It is recommended to test different blockers in parallel when assembling a new assay because the previously described effect occurs rarely. The blocking efficiency of modern blockers such as SmartBlock™ or The Blocking Solution is much better compared to classic BSA blockers and can be used if the capture antibodies do not strongly depend on BSA. So far there are no efficient alternatives for BSA sensitive antibodies to BSA as component of blockers or assay buffers.