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Understanding Immunoassays: Principles and Applications
Immunoassays are powerful analytical tools used to detect and quantify specific biomolecules, often proteins, peptides, or hormones, in a sample. At their core, immunoassays leverage the highly specific binding interaction between an antigen and its corresponding antibody. This specificity makes them invaluable in diagnostics, research, and even environmental monitoring.
The principle behind an immunoassay is straightforward yet elegant. Antibodies are designed to recognize a unique molecular structure on a target molecule, known as an antigen. When an antibody binds to its antigen, it forms a complex that can be detected using various methods, often involving colorimetric, fluorescent, or chemiluminescent signals. The intensity of the signal typically correlates with the amount of the target molecule present in the sample.
There are several types of immunoassays, each with its own advantages. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) are among the most commonly used, relying on an enzyme attached to…