Which ELISA is for you?

Are you familiar with the multiple methods you could use to perform an ELISA? Among the standard assay formats illustrated below, where differences in both capture and detection are in concern, it is important to differentiate between the particular strategies that exist specifically for the detection step—especially in advanced applications like Multiplex Assay Services, where multiple analytes are measured simultaneously. It is a critical distinction shared across many assay services involving protein quantification. However an antigen is captured to the plate (by direct adsorption to the surface or through a pre-coated "capture" antibody, as in a sandwich ELISA), it is the detection step (as either direct or indirect detection) that largely determines the sensitivity of an ELISA. Additional considerations on experimental setup and sensitivity optimization are further discussed in the context of this ELISA Testing Service framework. Similar attention to detection parameters is also central to understanding how to optimize Western blot performance across varying experimental conditions.