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Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

In 1971, Peter Perlman and Eva Engvall developed an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA or EIA). ELISA differs from western blot in that the assays are conducted in microtiter plates or in vivo rather than on an absorbent membrane.
There are many different types of ELISAs, but they all involve an antibody molecule whose constant region binds an enzyme, leaving the variable region free to bind its specific antigen. Enzyme-substrate reaction allows the antigen to be visualized or quantified.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Fabricating a UV-Vis and Raman Spectroscopy Immunoassay Platform

Fabricating a UV-Vis and Raman Spectroscopy Immunoassay Platform

Published on: November 10, 2016

Radioimmunoassay.

¹Department of Chemistry, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, England.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|June 1, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Radioimmunoassay utilizes competition between labeled and unlabeled antigens for antibody binding. This equilibrium reaction is fundamental to quantifying antigen levels in various assays.

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Area of Science:

Immunology
Biochemistry
Analytical Chemistry

Background:

Radioimmunoassay (RIA) is a common technique for quantifying substances.
It relies on the principle of competitive binding.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe the fundamental principle of radioimmunoassay.
To represent the equilibrium reaction mathematically.

Main Methods:

Describing radioimmunoassay as a competition between radiolabeled antigen (Ag*) and unlabeled antigen (Ag).
Utilizing a limited amount of specific antibody (Ab) for binding.
Allowing the reaction to proceed to equilibrium.

Main Results:

The competitive binding reaction can be represented by an equilibrium equation.
This equilibrium is key to the assay's quantitative nature.

Conclusions:

The described equilibrium model is central to understanding and performing radioimmunoassays.
This principle enables the accurate measurement of antigen concentrations.