Antibody conjugation, also known as antibody labeling, involves the process of chemically attaching antibodies to specific labels. There are several common antibody conjugation methods, including the NHS (succinimidyl) ester method, isothiocyanate method, carbodiimide method, and periodate method.
After obtaining target antibodies by various means, researchers use the reaction principle of cascade amplification to label specific antigens or antibody molecules with substances that are both easy to measure and highly sensitive to enhance the sensitivity of the reaction. Each immunoassay-based experiment requires a specific type of label/conjugate. For example, fluorescently labeled antibodies are useful for flow cytometry, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled antibodies are used for chemiluminescence-based assays in Western blot analysis.