The Immunological Toolbox, a central veterinary research resource offering access to information on more than 20,000 immune reagents, has been relaunched with a new website.
The community-driven platform - www.immunologicaltoolbox.co.uk - brings together one of the world’s largest curated collections of information on reagents and supports research and collaborations across 81 countries.
Backed by funding from UK Research and Innovation’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the newly designed Toolbox connects researchers to a wider network of veterinary reagents and services, including those held at The Pirbright Institute and the Roslin Institute.
Immune reagents are vital tools to study cells and their response under various conditions, including vaccination or infection, as well as identify pathogens. The reagents are used in laboratory assays to detect, measure, or trigger specific immune responses, and include antibodies, antigens, and cytokines.
The fully revamped website delivers a modernised interface to the broader UK Immunological Toolbox project, opening up both the Pirbright and Roslin Toolboxes through a single route. It is also accessible to researchers across the globe.
New features include expanded documentation, a FAQ section, and compliance resources. An improved news interface together with streamlined antibody submission and request processes are now built into a more robust and scalable platform.
Dr Danish Munir, Head of the Immunological Toolbox, said: “The Toolbox exists to jointly connect, contribute, and accelerate scientific progress. We welcome all reagents, new or existing, commercial or custom, with diversity strengthening the resource for everyone. By openly sharing data, successes, challenges, and innovations, we can address gaps in veterinary reagents more effectively than any single group could alone.”
The platform has already contributed to several global vaccine development campaigns and to international initiatives such as the Livestock Antibody Hub and the Swine Toolkit, advancing immunology research in animals. It will support a community of more than 1,000 researchers worldwide.
Returning or new Toolbox users with suggestions for the site are welcome to get in touch by emailing [email protected]