Unit 1.1.d

Question 1

What are immunoassay techniques used for?

Answer 1

To detect and identify specific proteins

Question 2

How are immunoassay techniques carried out?

Answer 2

These techniques use stocks of antibodies with the same specificity, known as monoclonal antibodies

Question 3

What is meant by a chemical ‘label’?

Answer 3

The ‘label’ is often a reporter enzyme producing a colour change, but chemiluminescence, fluorescence and other reporters can be used.

An antibody specific to the protein antigen is linked to a chemical ‘label’

In some cases the assay uses a specific antigen to detect the presence of antibodies.

Question 4

What technique is used after SDS–PAGE electrophoresis?

Answer 4

Western blotting

Question 5

What is the western blotting technique

Answer 5

The separated proteins from the gel are transferred (blotted) onto a solid medium. The proteins can be identified using specific antibodies that have reporter enzymes attached