Intertek ASG Laboratory, Manchester, UK

Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) Testing

Intertek ASG offers Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) testing as part of the suite of characterisation services for biopharmaceuticals.

ELISA assays can be very sensitive, precise and quantitative. They can be used to measure an antigen or an antibody, or generally, any macromolecule that binds another molecule or cell. A typical format is to coat a protein on the bottom of a plastic 96 well plate, block remaining potential protein binding sites by incubation with bovine albumin, casein, or other blocking agents, add the test sample which can be in a crude mixture such as serum, wash out any material that does not bind to the first protein, and detect the bound molecule by an enzyme-conjugated specific antibody. Detection is amplified many-fold using an enzyme-linked detection system, because the substrate is continuously turned over and the product is measured.

Commercially available colorimetric ELISA formats can be employed in the Intertek ASG laboratory.