All protocols are continued by giving booster injections every four weeks and test bleeds two weeks after each booster injection. The serum is shipped within two days of bleeds. You have option to stop or continue your protocol depending upon your needs and the success of the project. When an antiserum gives sufficient antibody titer, we start production bleeds every two weeks. We can also do production bleeds every week. Please contact us if you want to change the bleeding and/or boosting schedule. You may also request that we do not do any booster injections after the initial immunization outlined above since some antigens and animals may respond negatively to boosts during the period of peak antibody activity. Boosts may be required only when titer drops. It is up to the investigator to decide and inform us whether to discontinue boosts. The volume of serum collected for large or production bleeds depends on the weight and the general health of the Rabbit. We generally obtain 20-40ml blood yielding 10 to 20ml of serum.

In our experience, the peak antibody titer occurs at an average of 120 days, however, the onset of peak may occur as early as six weeks and may last as long as one year. If the results are not as you expect, please consult us for recommendations on how to modify your protocol. When you have collected enough antisera, you will need to contact us to terminate the project. You may request that we perform exsanguinations (terminal bleed) or if no additional sera are required, the animal(s) will be humanely euthanized (discard). When you instruct us to terminate your animal(s), you must tell us if you want exsanguination or discard, species, and the animal(s) number. Written confirmation by email or fax may be requested for terminal procedures.