Frequently Asked Questions

What scientific process will you follow?

The process involves selecting a cell line that expresses the target protein in high quantities, based on public MS data. From the selected cell line, two different knockout cell lines are created (using CRISPR/Cas9). Each antibody in the study is then tested against the cell lines. Our initial application is immunoblot, then immunoprecipitation and then immunofluorescence. The results from all the antibodies are compared and made freely available once the experiment is complete.

Interesting name YCharOS. How did you come up with it?

YCharOS is short for Antibody Characterization through Open Science. The chemical shape of an antibody resembles a capital Y.

Cool! But how do I pronounce it?

We pronounce it the same as Icarus.

Um, things didn’t work out so well for him.

True! While we did think the pronunciation was somewhat playful, it also reminds us to stay humble. We are characterizing antibodies, we are not validating or rating them. Our characterization data will be made freely available to the community who will then be able to make their own judgements and draw their own conclusions. In essence, we will not fly too close to the sun.

What about your logo? What does it represent?

Our logo contains several design elements that represent our community and principles. The chemical shape of the antibody with double bars on the arms is shown clearly. The open lock represents open science. The different shades of blue in the background represent the different blue intensities of the immunoblot, the most common antibody characterization test. The color orange is the colour of open science.