Despite readily available alternative technologies, many antibodies in research and diagnostics are still generated and produced with the use of laboratory animals. Here, we portrait the concept of animal-free recombinant antibodies and the generation of such an antibody against the spike-protein of SARS-Cov-2. The scientific community needs to raise awareness for more sustainable animal-free alternatives, especially as they offer a path to more reliable and reproducible data. © Springer-Verlag GmbH 2022.