Elements To Consider When Purchasing ELISA Test Kits

By Annabelle Holman


To figure out whether antibodies and antigens exist in a particular specimen you require a chemistry technique alluded to as Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The method has been used for a long time in the pharmaceuticals field. ELISA test kits are utilized for hypersensitivities, diabetes, steroids, tumor, parasitology, fertility, thyroid, immune system ailments and other maladies.

Before purchasing ELISA kits you need to ensure they meet some requirements. You need to get the right assay format. It is essential to have the correct container system as well as the best format for your experiment. There are quite a number of formats that you can choose to work with on your project.

The sandwich assay is popular with many people. The reason why it is referred to as a sandwich is because there is an antigen which is placed between two antibodies. This kind of arrangement is preferred because of its sensitivity and robustness. In some cases this format is not preferred. If you have a small antigen then you will find it hard to attach heavy antibodies on it.

The next feature you need to consider is the types of antibodies. You can utilize polyclonal antibodies as well as monoclonal antibodies in ELISAs. At times it is advisable to use a combination of both. There are several factors you need to consider when choosing antibodies. When you using a sandwich assay then you might want to try the polyclonal antibody for the capture process and the monoclonal ones for detection. By doing this you will able to capture all antigens and then utilize the antibodies that are monoclonal to detect specific antigens.

You need to make sure that the capture and detection antibodies are matching. The two should not compete for the same site on the antigen. Instead they should recognize varying epitopes on the antigen. Your results will be skewed if you do not ensure there is no interference. There are ways of ensuring this does not happen. The most recommended way is to get a pair that is already matched from the supplier. You can use the internet to find antibody suppliers.

Cross reactivity as well as interference is another feature to look for. Cross reactivity can be caused by antibodies that are on the host animal being compatible. It is not hard to purchase antibodies that are obtained from the animal in question. However, consider it important to find out if cross reactivity might pose a problem. In the sandwich format the secondary antibody that is utilized for the detection process must be right for the primary antibody that was utilized during detection.

It is also important to figure out what is in the blocking as well as the washing buffers. Sometimes they may contain compounds that are likely to alter interaction of the antibodies and the antigens. The final factor to consider is detection. There are several ways of detecting binding. You need to find a kit that utilizes detection that you prefer.

On the off chance that you need to figure out more about the features you can ask for details from delegates from the organizations that offer the units. They will be happy to advise you all the more about them and how to utilize them. The web is likewise a wellspring of details.




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