Monospecific Antiserum
Definition
An antiserum that reacts exclusively with proteins from the target species after absorption against all cross-reacting species has been performed and verified. Monospecificity is confirmed by testing against a broad species panel before the reagent is approved for forensic casework.
- Property
- Reacts exclusively with target species proteins
- Production step
- Absorption against cross-reacting species
- Verification
- Testing against a broad species panel
- Use
- Species identification of bloodstains and other biological evidence
Common questions
Why is the absorption step necessary before an antiserum can be called monospecific?+
Raw antiserum raised against one species often cross-reacts weakly with proteins from related species, and absorption removes those cross-reacting antibodies so the remaining reagent binds only the intended target.
What happens if a monospecific antiserum is used without prior panel verification?+
Undetected cross-reactivity could produce a false positive species identification, for example misidentifying a closely related animal's blood as human, so laboratories validate specificity against a panel before approving the reagent for casework.
Related terms
- Absorption
- The purification technique in which a crude antiserum is mixed with antigen preparations from cross-reacting species. Cross-reactive antibodies bind those antigens and...
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- Antiserum
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- Phylogenetic Cross-Reactivity
- The reaction of an antiserum with proteins from non-target species whose proteins are structurally similar due to shared evolutionary ancestry. Cross-reactivity intensity...
- Titre
- The concentration of antibody in a solution, expressed as the reciprocal of the highest dilution at which agglutination is still visible. A...