TWEEN 20

Description
TWEEN 20 helps to prevent non-specific antibody binding in enzyme immunoassay as a washing agent (e.g. Western blots and ELISAs). In this major application, it is dissolved in Tris-Buffered Saline or Phosphate buffered saline at dilutions of 0.05% to 0.5% v/v. These buffers are used for washes between each immunoreactions, to remove unbound immunologicals, and eventually for incubation solutions of immunoreagents (labeled antibodies) to reduce unspecific background.

Applications

• Saturates binding sites on surfaces (i.e. to coat polystyrene microplates, generally combined to proteins such as BSA).
• Stabilize proteins purified in protein derivative (PPD) solution used in skin testing for tuberculosis exposure
• As a solubilizing agent of membrane proteins
• Lysing mammalian cells, at a concentration of 0.05% to 0.5% v/v, generally combined to other detergents, salts and additives.

Recommended Storage Condition: room temperature