Receptor-based assays

Receptor-based assays have benefitted from the newest advances in biotechnology and electronics in three main ways: genetically engineered cells expressing single receptor subtypes have been developed for many natural and synthetic ligands; assays have been designed which take advantage of a variety of signals triggered in cells by binding, or inhibition of binding, of ligands to surface-bound receptors; and radiolabelled ligand assays have been considerably improved and simplified by novel electronic devices.