Various Types of Assay

There are several types of assay. These include biochemical, cell-based, radio-label, ligand-binding, and particle agglutination assays. Each of these techniques has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to know which assay type works best for a given application. For more on health, check out our other articles or continue reading.

Biochemical or cell-based

High-throughput screening assays are an important tool in medicinal chemistry. They help in the identification of small molecule leads for defined molecular targets. However, there are many factors that need to be considered in developing assays. These include the assay format, hardware, and reagents. Moreover, it is also important to select a labelled substrate.

In the past decade, high-throughput technologies have made great strides in the field of medicinal chemistry. With the advent of a multitude of miniaturized systems, it has become possible to reduce the cost of data points and to deal with a large number of compounds.

A typical library of compounds can range from 500 to 1 million. This means that large screening campaigns can generate a large number of false positives.

Immunoassays

There are different types of immunoassays that can be used to measure different types of molecules in a sample. Immunoassays are laboratory-based biochemical tests that use a specific antibody or antigen as the biorecognition agent. They are an important tool for life science research and industry laboratories.

Some of the most common types of immunoassays include homogeneous, noncompetitive, and competitive binding CE immunoassays. In these types of immunoassays, the labeled analog of the analyte is combined with a small amount of antibodies, and the analyte is then measured by monitoring the interaction between the antibodies and the analyte.

The competitive binding type of immunoassay involves competition between the analyte and the labeled binding agent. In these types of immunoassays, there is a low molecular weight analyte. It competes with the reference antigen for binding.

Particle agglutination

Particle agglutination assays are immunoassays that use antibodies as reagents. They are used to detect the presence of analytes. Generally, an assay uses a particulate latex that carries the antigen or antibody. These particles are then put onto a collodion film. When the particles are subjected to a particular optical change, an agglutination reaction occurs. Agglutination of particles signifies a positive result.

Particle agglutination immunoassays have been developed for many years. However, they are often limited in their sensitivity. In addition, they are subjective in nature. The present invention attempts to address these issues. It comprises a novel method for the detection of analytes.

The present invention is based on the discovery of a polymer with specific characteristics that participates in the agglutination reaction of an agglutination reagent. Specifically, the present invention is a reagent for the particle agglutination assay.

Chemiluminescence

Chemiluminescence immunoassays are widely used in drug and protein analysis, as well as environmental monitoring. They use a combination of enzyme-labeled antigens, luminescent substances, and chemical reactions to detect small biological molecules. This type of assay has a very high sensitivity but has some disadvantages.

The most common chemiluminescent substrates are luminol and polyphenols. These compounds are known for their excellent signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity. Acridinium esters are also commonly used as markers.

In an enzymatic chemiluminescence assay, an enzyme acts on the luminescent substrate. This reaction can be enhanced by using an enhancer. It is important to choose an appropriate enhancer, as it increases the sensitivity of the assay.

Radio-label

Radio-label types of assay are a common method of detecting acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signals. AHL signals are constructed by a variety of Proteobacteria. Some use exogenous aromatic substrates as side chains, while others synthesize their own molecules.

Typical AHL molecules have a side chain derived from a carrier protein substrate. Bacteria synthesize these proteins using the enzyme MetK. They then convert the labelled methionine to S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which is converted into an AHL signal.

This type of AHL detection protocol is relatively fast and accurate. However, radioactivity may interfere with the measurements. To prevent this, extra precautions must be taken. The radioactivity level is measured after the sample has been washed.

Ligand-binding

Ligand-binding assays are analytic techniques for detecting and quantifying ligand-receptor interactions. They are used in toxicokinetic studies, biomarker analysis and pharmacodynamic studies.

Ligand-binding assays can be labelled or non-labelled. Labelling enables higher sensitivity, better linearity over a larger concentration range and improved limit of detection. Non-labelled assays, in contrast, are much less sensitive. However, these can be made more sensitive by fluorescent labelling.

Ligand-binding assays are usually used during large-molecule drug development, and they are important for evaluating pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic effects. A number of in silico methods are also useful for drug development. Some of these include X-ray crystallography, which allows the identification of new binding sites, and structure-based approaches, which can be used to design and test a new ligand.