How do you guys usually store your antibodies for long-term stability? I’ve read so many conflicting opinions about freezing versus refrigerating, and I don’t want to mess up a batch. Any practical tips or protocols that actually work in the lab?
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Totally agree about the storage issue. I once lost an entire batch of antibodies because I didn’t realize how damaging freeze-thaw cycles can be. Now I keep everything in small aliquots too — it saves so much headache. I also add a bit of glycerol to some of my more sensitive ones, and that helps keep them stable for months. It’s amazing how small changes in handling make a huge difference in consistency.
From my experience, storage really makes or breaks antibody performance. I used to freeze everything, thinking it was safest, but that actually ruined several batches due to repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Now I aliquot them in small volumes and keep them at 4°C if I’m using them often. For longer-term storage, -20°C is fine as long as you don’t keep opening the tube. I’ve also noticed that stabilizing buffers help a lot — some vendors already add them. If you want to save yourself the headache, I recommend ordering from Gentaur https://gentaur.co.uk/antibodies/; their antibodies arrive with detailed storage instructions and ready-to-use formulations. It honestly made my workflow smoother and results more consistent.