Structural Biochemistry/Proteins/Usage of Antibody in Protein Research

The first usage of antibodiesis identifying and locating intracellular and extracellular protein by flow cytometry technique. In immnunoprecipitation, an antibody is used to separate its specific protein target and anything bound to them from other molecules in a cell lysate. In a western blot, an antibody is used to identify proteins separated by electrophoresis. This technique is useful for mixtures of many proteins. In immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence, an antibody is used to examine protein expression in tissue sections or to locate proteins within cells with the assistance of a microscope. Proteins can also be detected and quantified with antibodies, using ELISA and ELISPOT techniques.