Immunochemical applications of avidin-biotin technology

The major advantage in the use of avidin-biotin technology for isolation purposes is that an improved capacity for purification of an antigen often results (1,2). The antibody, bound to the column via an avidin-biotin bridge, is less affected by the chemistry of immobilization or by physical interactions (hydrophobic, electrostatic, salting-out effects, precipitation, and so on) with the solid support. Such potential deleterious effects are borne by avidin, which is a highly stable protein, and thus serves as a physicochemical buffer for the antibody.