FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
How can I place an order?

The easiest way to order is by using our online store. You can also send an order by fax (+46-8 54 59 58 51) using the order form that can be downloaded from our online store (Order Form) or send the order by e-mail to order@atlasantibodies.com. Information required is product number, product name, number of vials, full delivery address, full invoice address and purchase order number (if you have one). We also need contact information including contact person, phone number and e-mail address. Since we use FedEx International Priority for shipping, you are welcome to state your own FedEx account number when ordering, if you want us to use that for shipping. All duties and taxes are to be paid by the recipient of the shipment.


What is the lead time of an order?

Products are shipped from Sweden Mondays to Thursdays, with exception for national holidays. If we receive the order before 2 pm CET, the products are shipped the same day. Depending on country of destination, please allow 1 to 4 days for delivery.


How much does the product cost?

The price for all antibodies is €315, $429 or 2900 SEK, per vial of 100 micro liters, shipping charges are not included and will be added.

Shipping charges:
Sweden 200 SEK; EU €50; Rest of Europe €60 and US & Canada $85.

Atlas Antibodies uses FedEx International priority for all shipments outside Sweden. All duties and taxes are to be paid by the recipient of the shipment.

For more information about shipping terms, please visit our online store (Shipping terms).


How can I pay?

An invoice is sent by mail after shipment of products. Payment terms are net thirty (30) days from the date of invoice. Wire transfer payment is preferred, bank checks and credit card payment are accepted. Payment can be made using VISA or Master Card by sending credit card information by fax (+46-8 54 59 58 51) or email to order@atlasantibodies.com. The charge will be made in Swedish Kronor (2900 SEK plus shipping charges).


Do you have a distributor in my country?

The antibodies are distributed by Atlas Antibodies in Europe, US and Canada with overnight delivery.
Sigma-Aldrich distributes the antibodies, branded as Prestige Antibodies®, world wide. (www.sigmaaldrich.com)

What storage conditions do you recommend for your antibodies?

Store at +4°C for short term storage (1-2 days). Long time storage is recommended at -20ºC. If stored at lower temperature, aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing as this may denature the antibody.


Where can I see the result from the IHC staining?

Please visit the Human Protein Atlas (www.proteinatlas.org) for the result of using more than 15,600 antibodies, including all antibodies in Atlas Antibodies product catalogue, for protein profiling of human proteins. Each antibody has been used for immunohistochemical staining of 46 normal human tissue samples in triplicates, 432 human cancer samples covering the 20 most common cancer types and up to 12 patients for each cancer type. In addition, 59 cells and cell lines has been immunohistochemically stained and annotated for each antibody. In total, close to 700 immunohistochemistry images are available for each antibody. Please note that you can click on each tissue sample type and cell line/cell to view the corresponding images. Each image is then clickable for a larger magnification.


What is a "PrEST" that you use as an antigen?

The antibodies are developed against recombinant human Protein Epitope Signature Tags (PrESTs) of approximately 50 to 150 amino acids. The PrESTs are designed to have as low sequence homology as possible to other human proteins and not to contain any trans-membrane regions or signal peptides.

The PrEST antigen sequences are publically available on the product pages as well as on the Human Protein Atlas portal.


Have the antibodies been analyzed using Western Blot technique?

All antibodies have been selected based on their performance in formalin fixed tissue immunohistochemistry.

Western Blots have been performed using a standard sample setup composed of five different protein lysates. Due to the high-throughput nature of the Human Protein Atlas program, all antibodies have been analyzed using a standardized protocol in a single attempt without further efforts to optimize the procedure for target size, antibody dilution, blocking reagent or by inclusion of a specific protein lysate known to overexpress the target. Therefore, it cannot be excluded that certain observed binding properties are due to technical, rather than biological, reasons and that further optimization could result in a different outcome.

In addition, several antibodies are approved in the WB application due to detection of target protein in overexpressed Origene lysates.

WB images for approved antibodies are available on the product data sheets.

Why does the actual Western Blot band differ in size compared to predicted size?

The reasons why an actual Western Blot band size may differ from a predicted size may be several. The migration of a protein through a gel is affected by other factors than the size of the protein. Such factors include:
- Splice variants, one gene can generate proteins of different sizes due to alternative splicing.
- Post-translational modifications like glycosylations and phosphorylations increase the protein molecular weight.
- Post-translation cleavage to generate the active protein form of proteins produced as pro-proteins result in a change of the molecular weight, e.g. pro-insulin and insulin.
- Dimers and multimers can be present even though the sample has been run under reducing conditions.

The reason why there are sometimes no bands detected in any of the five protein lysates used in the HPA Western Blot analyses may be because the protein is not expressed in any of the five selected protein lysates.


Do the antibodies work in mouse or rat?

Only a few antibodies have been tested against other species than human, please contact us if you want to have more information regarding a specific antibody. PrEST antigen sequence information can be found on the product data sheet and on the Human Protein Atlas to enable sequence identity analysis.


You sometimes have two products with the same product name but different product numbers. What is the difference of the two products, and how can I choose which one is best suited for me to use?

Each antibody is directed against a specific PrEST antigen sequence of approximately 50-150 amino acids. If we have two different antibodies with the same product name, it means that the antibodies are directed against different parts of the same protein. Please visit the Human Protein Atlas to look at the different PrEST antigen locations and to study the staining patterns of the two different antibodies.


How are the antibodies purified?

The antibodies are polyclonal antibodies raised in rabbits. All antibodies are affinity purified on their respective PrEST antigens, resulting in antibodies only binding to their corresponding antigens. This affinity purification process should be distinguished from affinity purification using protein A or protein G that bind immunoglobulins regardless of the specificity of the immunoglobulins.


Do you produce antibodies on request?

Atlas Antibodies sells antibodies that are designed and generated within the academic HPA (Human Protein Atlas) project. IHC images are released for a large number of new antibodies every year on the Human Protein Atlas website (www.proteinatlas.org). The company Atlas Antibodies does not produce antibodies on request.


Do you have conjugated antibodies?

Not at this time.