FAQ
Why are Alceins™ better than antibodies?
Alceins™ are custom-designed affinity reagents that offer a powerful alternative to traditional antibodies, with key advantages for researchers and biotech professionals:
- Designed in silico using advanced computational protein design, ensuring high specificity and performance.
- Produced in E. coli, enabling rapid, scalable, and cost-effective recombinant protein production.
- Structurally defined—our engineered proteins have known molecular structures because we designed them.
- Modular format—customizable with detection tags such as GFP, GST, His-tag, biotin, and others to meet your application needs.
- Animal-friendly—no animals are used at any stage. We don’t need to immunize mice, rabbits, alpacas, not even moose!
Instead of an affinity reagent, could you develop an Alcein™ drug or diagnostic for my organization?
While our core mission is to deliver high-quality reagents quickly and efficiently, we welcome opportunities for research collaborations. If you’re interested in developing a custom Alcein™ for a diagnostic or therapeutic application, contact us info@alcesbioworks.com to start the conversation.
How do you design Alceins™?
At Alces Bioworks, we focus on advancing protein design technology, so you can focus on your science. The field is evolving rapidly, with new computational design tools emerging in the literature almost daily, and we move just as quickly to adapt accordingly.
Our team thrives on exploring the latest in protein engineering and machine learning: from message-passing neural networks, iPTM, AlphaFold, pLDDT, PAE, Boltz, diffusion, backpropagation, biolayer interferometry, and surface plasmon resonance.
Our mission is simple: to deliver high-performance affinity reagents—fast, precisely designed, and ready to accelerate your research.
How do I place an order?
Placing an order is simple. Just submit your contact information through our Contact Us page, and we’ll send you a personalized link to our order form. Once we receive your request, we’ll provide a quote and agree on the payment method.
It’s a quick, streamlined process, so you can get your custom Alcein™ project started without delay.
What is the production timeline for Alceins™️️?
Our design and production timeline is 6–8 weeks from order confirmation to delivery. This rapid turnaround is one of the key advantages of our computational protein design platform, especially compared to traditional antibody development timelines. This efficiency makes Alceins™️️ a strong choice for labs needing fast custom affinity reagents.
Do you offer off-the-shelf or catalog Alceins™️️?
At the moment, we focus on custom Alcein™️️ development tailored to your specific target and research application. If you have a high-demand target that would benefit the broader scientific community, we’d welcome your suggestions. Please contact us at info@alcesbioworks.com, and we’ll evaluate opportunities for expanding into catalog affinity reagents.
What tags or detection modules can be conjugated to Alceins™️️?
Alceins™️ can be engineered with a variety of commonly used epitope tags for protein detection and affinity purification, including His-tag, FLAG-tag, HA-tag, Myc-tag, or AviTag for biotinylation. We also support custom tag requests—simply specify your preferred tag when placing your order, and our team will incorporate it into your Alcein™️ design.
For what applications can Alceins™️ be used?
Small protein reagents similar to Alceins™️ are used in a wide range of research, assay, and manufacturing applications, including:
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
- Immunofluorescence (IF)
- Western Blot (WB)
- Immunoprecipitation (IP)
- Affinity purification
- Other standard affinity reagent applications
If you successfully use your Alcein™️️ in an application not listed here, we’d love to hear about it.
How do you measure Alcein™️️ binding affinity?
We employ a two-stage validation process to ensure high-quality binders:
- Initial screening: Biolayer interferometry (BLI) for rapid identification of candidate binders
- Quantitative characterization: Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for precise binding affinity (KD) measurements
To learn more about the advantages of each technique, visit our blog post on binding analysis methods.
Do I need to provide my target protein for analytical testing?
You have two options:
- Provide your own: Send us a small aliquot (100 μg) of your purified target protein
- Commercial sourcing: Direct us to a preferred commercial vendor where we can purchase the target protein
Our team will help determine the most efficient path for your protein binding analysis project.
Are Alceins™️️ suitable for in vivo applications?
While Alceins™️️ are for research use only, they can be produced under low-endotoxin conditions suitable for in vivo use. Please indicate your intended application when placing your order so we can ensure appropriate production specifications, including endotoxin testing.
What information do you need about my target of interest?
At minimum, we require the amino acid sequence of your target protein. Additional helpful information includes:
- Specific epitope or binding region preferences
- Post-translational modifications of interest
- Species origin and isoform details
- Intended application(s)
- Any known structural information
Our detailed order form guides you through all optional specifications. You can access the order form by contacting us through our website. Contact Us.
What file formats do you accept for sequence and target information submission?
We accept a range of file formats for protein sequence submission, including:
- Text formats: Plain text, FASTA, GenBank (.gb), or EMBL format
- Sequence databases: UniProt accession numbers or NCBI RefSeq identifiers
- Structural data: PDB files if you have structural information about your target
- Documents: Word, PDF, or Excel files containing sequence and project details
If you have questions about format compatibility, our team will be happy to assist.
What are your terms and conditions?
We follow standard industry terms for custom reagent development services. Full terms are provided with your quote and can be reviewed prior to order confirmation. For specific questions, feel free to contact us info@alcesbioworks.com directly.
Can I purchase through a procurement platform?
Yes, Alces Bioworks is listed on Scientist.com, making procurement seamless for institutions that use this platform. You can also place orders directly through our website by submitting a request via our Contact Us (https://alcesbioworks.com/contact-us/) page.
What is the success rate for Alcein™️️ development?
What is the pricing structure for custom Alcein™️️ development?
How much purified Alcein™️️ will I receive?
Our standard deliverable includes 100ug ~90% pure Alcein™️️, sufficient for initial validation and multiple experiments. We can accommodate larger-scale production requests for ongoing research needs. Production quantities and concentrations will be specified in your project quote and can be adjusted based on your experimental requirements.
What quality control data and other info do you provide with my Alcein™️️?
Each Alcein™️️ delivery includes comprehensive quality control documentation:
- SDS-PAGE analysis confirming purity (typically >90%)
- Binding affinity data (KD values from SPR analysis)
- Concentration determination (A280 or other appropriate method)
- Endotoxin testing results when requested
- Sequence and predicted structure
- Storage and handling recommendations
All data is provided in a detailed technical report accompanying your delivery.
Can you develop Alceins™️️ against challenging or non-immunogenic targets?
Yes, this is one of the key advantages of our computational protein design approach. Unlike antibody generation that relies on immune response, our platform can target:
- Poorly immunogenic proteins
- Conserved protein families
- Membrane proteins and conformational epitopes
Contact us (info@alcesbioworks.com) to discuss your challenging target, and our team will assess feasibility.
Do you offer conjugation services for fluorophores, enzymes, or other labels?
While Alceins™️️ are delivered with your specified epitope tags, we can discuss conjugation services on a case-by-case basis. We can engineer your Alceins™️ to facilitate covalent modification while preserving function.
Can you scale-up production for commercial or clinical applications?
Yes, we can accommodate scale-up requirements for validated Alceins™️️. Our E. coli expression system enables efficient, cost-effective production at scales from milligrams to grams. For commercial manufacturing, GMP production, or clinical-grade material, we can work with qualified contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and assist with technology transfer. Contact us (info@alcesbioworks.com) to discuss your scale-up needs and timeline.
What if my Alcein™️️ doesn't perform as expected in my application?
We stand behind the quality of our Alceins™️️. Each reagent is validated for binding affinity before delivery. If you experience performance issues:
- Contact our technical support team with detailed experimental conditions
- Our scientists will troubleshoot and provide optimization recommendations
- We may request sample return for additional analysis
- Depending on the issue, we may offer a replacement or project credit
Customer satisfaction is our priority, and we work collaboratively to ensure your Alcein™️ meets your research needs. Specific warranty terms are outlined in your service agreement.
How should I cite Alceins™️️ in my publications and presentations?
We appreciate acknowledgment of Alces Bioworks in your scientific communications. Please use the following citation format:
“Custom Alcein™️️ affinity reagents were designed and produced by Alces Bioworks (https://alcesbioworks.com).”
For manuscripts, please include our company name and website in your Materials and Methods section. We’d love to hear about your publications—please send us a copy or citation so we can showcase the impact of Alceins™️️ in advancing scientific research.