With the help of ultrasound waves the ELISA(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test can be wrapped up within an hour instead of the several hours it takes now1. The ultrasound-mediated ELISA test retains its specificity and sensitivity.
ELISA is used for detection of antibodies in patients suffering from allergy, fungal, bacterial, parasitic and invasive diseases like HIV and hepatitis for its accuracy and reproducibility.
The researchers worked on various antibodies (anti-human and goat anti-human) and culled serum samples from allergic patients.
They activated the ELISA test device with a 1-fluoro-2-nitro-4-azidobenzene (FNAB) coating and ultraviolet (UV) light. At 120 watt of ultrasound power, the ELISA test with activated plates took 40 minutes to detect antibodies.
"The procedure will aid speedy diagnosis of diseases, molecular biology experiments and biomedical research," says lead researcher Pradip Nahar from the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi. The technique will also be useful in agriculture, sericulture, food technology, environmental science, toxicological research, identification of bio-threat agent and other related fields, he adds.
