Magnetic bead assisted labeling of antibodies at nanogram scale

There are currently several initiatives that aim to produce binding reagents for proteome-wide analysis. To enable protein detection, visualization, and target quantification, covalent coupling of reporter molecules to antibodies is essential. However, current labeling protocols recommend considerable amount of antibodies, require antibody purity and are not designed for automation. Given that small amounts of antibodies are often sufficient for downstream analysis, we developed a labeling protocol that combines purification and modification of antibodies at submicrogram quantities. With the support of magnetic microspheres, automated labeling of antibodies in parallel using biotin or fluorescent dyes was achieved.