DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES HYBRIDOMA BANK Profile

The DSHB was created in 1986 by the Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH) to bank and distribute hybridomas and the monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) they produce to the general scientific community in order to facilitate research. Our first intention was, and still is, to keep the prices low so that researchers can test multiple MAbs without commitment of significant funds, then continue to utilize those of interest without worry of expense. Our second intention was to relieve scientists of the time and expense of distributing hybridomas and MAbs they had developed. Our third intention was to assure the scientific community that MAbs with limited demand would still remain available. And finally, our fourth intention was to maintain the highest quality and to assist our customers in a timely fashion. We have striven over the past thirty years to remain true to our mission. Since 1996 we have been completely self-sufficient, requiring no funds from NIH, and have been able to keep prices very close to cost. We intend to continue this policy. The $40 price of a 1 ml sample of supernatant is still a fraction of the average commercial price, and our other products are similarly less expensive. The DSHB continues to respond rapidly to queries by customers concerning product quality and application. If a customer finds that the effectiveness of a hybridoma or supernatant has diminished, we immediately test it and, if necessary, reclone the line. Our collection of hybridomas has more than doubled over the past year. It now numbers over 3,500. We have obtained new hybridomas from a variety of individuals and institutions, including the NIH Protein Capture Reagent Program, the National Cancer Institute, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and we eagerly await new collections. A major challenge is to inform researchers of our new reagents. We have developed in house seven hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies against native GFP and at least four against denatured GFP. MAbs against eight other tags are currently under development. We have also created The Monoclonal Antibody Research Institute (MARI) at Iowa, the mission of which is to develop new techniques for generating new protein capture molecules. In the past twelve months, the DSHB distributed over 60,000 samples worldwide. Our mission will remain the same as it has been for over thirty years, namely to serve the interests of basic scientists. If you have any ideas that would help the DSHB fulfill its mission more effectively or assist you with your research,let me know directly.

David R. Soll

Director, DSHB