Production of polyclonal antibodies in rabbits is simplified using perforated plastic golf balls

Production of polyclonal antibodies in the lumen of a perforated golf ball implanted surgically under the skin of a rabbit offers advantages over conventional techniques. Less stress is placed on the rabbit because bleeding is eliminated, complete adjuvants are not used and animal handling is minimized. The technique also offers the advantage that large amounts of antibody-containing fluid can be removed easily from the ball. In this report we describe the surgical protocol and demonstrate use of this technique to produce high-titered antibodies to plant and plant viral proteins.