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AAT Bioquest

Why is BSA used as a standard?

Posted June 1, 2022


Answer

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a globular protein that’s extracted from cow blood. It is the most common standard used in protein concentration quantitation assays to analyze the concentration of protein in a solution. BSA offers several advantages that make it the preferred standard for protein assays: 

  • Has the ability to boost signal in assays 
  • Does not react with other enzymes in biochemical reactions 
  • Has higher sensitivity
  • Is stable at room temperature for up to 3 weeks
  • Gives consistent results
  • Compatible with common substances in samples
  • Is small and can be easily stored
  • Easily mass-produced and readily available 
  • Affordable
Additional resources

Evaluation of Colorimetric Assays for Analyzing Reductively Methylated Proteins: Biases and Mechanistic Insights

Antibody and Protein Labeling