Monster Block ELISA Blocking Buffer

1. Coat antibody or antigen onto the ELISA plate using ICT’s Antibody Coating Buffer or Antigen Coating Buffer., 2. Incubate 8–24 hours at room temperature (RT)., 3. Aspirate the coating solution., 4. Wash each Well twice with ICT’s ELISA Wash Buffer., 5. Block the uncoated regions of the ELISA plate by pipetting 300–400 µL of blocking buffer into each Well. Always use an equal or greater volume of blocking buffer than was used for the coating buffer solution., 6. Incubate 8–24 hours at RT. For best blocking, incubate overnight at RT., 7. Aspirate the blocking buffer; do not wash., 8. Run the assay immediately, or dry the plate for long-term storage and seal in a foil storage bag with a desiccant pack. Store dried and packaged plates at 2-8°C.

Monster Block™ provides a high degree of blocking efficiency and protein stabilization through the use of non-mammalian protein blocking agents and stabilizers. The heterogeneous composition of this unique ELISA blocking buffer efficiently blocks the uncoated regions of the microtiter plate without the use of mammalian protein additives. This buffer is best for assays that will not tolerate conventional mammalian blocking buffers or immunoassays with high background problems. In antigen-down ELISA formats, the use of Monster Block reduces the risk of endogenous antibodies in the sample reacting with the proteins used to block the plate, making Monster Block particularly useful when testing human, swine, and bovine sera., , Monster Block’s heterogenous mixture of nonmammalian blocking agents minimizes non specific binding interactions during the immunoassay process, reducing ELISA background noise and increasing specific signal. In addition, the non-mammalian-based Monster Block formulation is antigenically foreign to most mammalian immune systems, reducing the chance of cross-reactivity with anti-isotype detection antibodies., , This buffer also provides a microhydrated environment to stabilize the dried, coated protein during long-term storage for improved retention of antigen epitope and antibody binding activity. Also important when preparing batches for storage is Monster Block’s antimicrobial agent, which allows for stable room temperature blocking and long-term refrigerated storage of dried plates., , Bulk volumes and custom packaging are available upon request.