immunoassays
A glossary of immunoassay terms
Analyte, capture, conjugate, blank, matrix, spike recovery and lot, defined so a datasheet can be shortlisted before a reagent is ordered.
8 October 2026 · 11 min read
Topic cluster
Immunoassays
ELISA, immunoblotting and antibody selection, with controls that separate a real signal from a sticky reagent.
All topicsBuffers and laboratory water26Cell culture26Chromatography26Cold chain and sample storage26Cytometry and microscopy26DNA sequencing26Gels and blotting26Gene expression26Genome editing26Immunoassays26Laboratory labware26Laboratory safety26Liquid handling26Microbiology26Molecular cloning26Nucleic acid purification26PCR and amplification26Protein biochemistry26Proteomics26Research sourcing and study design26
specificationenquiryglossarytroubleshootingcalibrationelisafluorescencevalidationwestern blotantibodiesantibodyevidencereportingabsorbanceimmunoassayspecificitystoragetissue
26 articles
immunoassays
Antibody host species and secondary mismatch
How to match a secondary antibody to the primary host, subclass and label, and what a species mismatch does to the blank well.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
immunoassays
Blocking and plate washers
How blocking reagents and plate washers change ELISA background, and how to tell a sticky well from a wash that never finished.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
immunoassays
Calibrators and what they are traceable to
A calibrator defines the ELISA x-axis. Traceability is a documented chain to a stated reference. Many research standards are assay units only.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
immunoassays
Choosing and checking a primary antibody
How to choose and check a primary antibody: host, clonality, application claims, and controls that show the signal is the intended target.
8 October 2026 · 7 min read
immunoassays
Comparing ELISA and western blot evidence
ELISA returns a number when the curve holds. A blot returns a band at a mass. Their disagreements point at epitope, matrix, or the hook effect.
8 October 2026 · 10 min read
immunoassays
Cross-reactivity and related proteins
How to check whether an antibody binds a paralogue or an orthologue, using sequence context and a related-protein lane that should stay quiet.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
immunoassays
Dilution series instead of a single guess
Why one antibody or sample dilution is a guess, and how a dilution series or checkerboard finds the window where the blank stays flat.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
immunoassays
Edge effects on a microplate
Outer wells lose volume and drift in temperature compared with the centre. Compare seals, humidity and layout before you treat an edge well as biology.
8 October 2026 · 11 min read
Pillar · immunoassays
ELISA formats controls and readout
ELISA formats, controls and readout: how direct, sandwich and competitive assays turn a binding event into a number that stays inside the curve.
8 October 2026 · 8 min read
immunoassays
Fixation and antigen retrieval concepts
How formaldehyde and alcohol fixation change epitopes, and how to test one retrieval class against morphology before you lock a method.
8 October 2026 · 10 min read
immunoassays
Hook effect and dilute-to-check
Why a very high analyte can make a sandwich ELISA look low, and how a planned dilution series separates a hook effect from a truly low sample.
8 October 2026 · 10 min read