The power of genomics has helped broaden our understanding of disease-causing genes, paving the way for researchers to explore their gene products (proteins) and disease mechanisms, enabling the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutics. A common approach is to validate protein targets with commercially available antibodies. Research antibodies sold by commercial antibody manufacturers are projected to reach $6.5 billion in revenue by 2032. However, a critical issue identified is that around 60% of research antibodies do not work as marketed. This results in wasted resources across research labs attempting to validate the same target, and in some cases, erroneous conclusions when widely used commercial antibodies produce false positives due to inadequate validation. 

To solve this issue, this project aims to establish an antibody characterization core driven by a unique partnership between Dr. Phillip Barker from University of British Columbia, Okanagan and an Ontario based non-profit organization, YCharOS (Antibody Characterization through Open Science), that will validate research antibodies for priority oncology targets selected by BC-based research institutions and/or SMEs and publish the data generated in open-access journals. This model has been adapted from a successful partnership between YCharOS and McGill University to establish an antibody characterization core in Eastern Canada, resulting in the validation of >1300 antibodies against 120 targets. By streamlining workflows and preventing duplication, this project will advance BC’s oncology research and pave the way for future expansion into new therapeutic areas.