Microorganism refers to any organism that is too small to be seen by the unaided eye, which abounds in nature, and many find the environment and nutrients needed for growth and reproduction on or within other living organisms. Microorganism includes bacteria, viruses, archaea, fungi and protozoa. Normally, microorganisms live in a balanced situation with their host that ensures survival of both host and parasite. Microbes make up 90% of the 1014 cells in the human body and occupy all of our body surfaces, including the skin, gut, and mucous membranes. Thus, it is of great significance to research microorganisms.
Microbiology is the study of microorganism. This discipline covers a vast area of scientific research on the biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, ecology, evolution and diagnostic development. It is worth mentioning that monoclonal antibody has been highly beneficial for microbiology research and advancing our understanding of antimicrobial immunotherapy, vaccine, infectious diseases and veterinary pathologies.
As development of the monoclonal antibody, antibody has become a useful tool for the study of microbiology, such as microbial detection, microbial pathways, infection diseases and cancer research. Antibodies against various microbial antigens were produced and reflected location, infectivity and toxins of microbe. Particularly, neutralization antibody is the most widely used type, which has biological effect on a microbial pathogen or its toxin.
Neutralizing antibody
Some antibodies defend a cell from an antigen or infectious body by neutralizing any effect it has biologically, which named neutralizing antibodies. The difference between neutralizing antibodies and binding antibodies is that neutralizing antibodies neutralize the biological effects of the antigen, while binding antibodies flag antigens. Antibodies having neutralizing function can block the infectivity of pathogens, inactivate or neutralize foreign substances such as toxins. Neutralization generally occurs as a result of interfering with an organism’s attachment to host tissues and is an important specific defense against viral invaders. For example, neutralization antibodies to HIV-1 Envelope are highly effective in preventing infection with chimeric SIV–HIV (SHIV) viruses in macaques.
Fig.1 Summary of the protection mechanisms of neutralizing and non-neutralizing Abs specific for viral proteins[1].
Creative Biolabs has collated our microbiology resources to make it easier for you to find antibodies involved in microbiology. These antibody targets cover microbial proteins and toxins, pathogens, and microbe-related diseases. The antibodies have high specificity, high affinity and can help your microbiology research.
For more detailed information about our antibodies, please feel free to contact us.