Since their introduction in the 1950’s immunoassays have been an integral part of research and drug discovery labs. Immunoassay platforms are commonly used to detect and quantify levels of an analyte from a range of complex sample matrices (e.g. human serum, urine, or blood) where an abundance of other proteins and molecules are present. Over the years the immunoassays available to scientists have expanded, leading to the plethora of immunoassay platform options we now have today. Some of the most commonly used immunoassay platforms include radioimmunoassays, western blots, and ELISAs. PerkinElmer offers a range of immunoassay platforms that offer multiple benefits over these more traditional means.

Traditional ELISAs are commonly used in disease research and throughout the drug discovery workflow. While compatible with complex matrices, a colorimetric ELISA is susceptible to the constraint of a narrow linear range for the optical density (OD), which is common to absorbance-based measurements. The smaller dynamic range (~ 2 logs) of the assay decreases the likelihood that your unknown sample concentration will fall within the standard curve and introduces the challenge of testing multiple dilutions from the same, potentially limited, sample. Repeat dilution testing of the same sample also requires additional assay wells and often leads to purchasing additional kits or coating additional assay plates to accurately quantify all your samples. Chemiluminescent ELISAs can be more sensitive, but require vast amounts of antibody, increasing the cost of the assay, and lack signal stability due to the nature of the rapid decline in luminescence over time. Our ELISA-alternative technologies provide not only a wider dynamic range and expanded signal stability, they also offer increased sensitivity and the option for a no-wash assay thus elimination some of the most common limitations of ELISAs.

Similarly, western blotting is an immunoassay platform that is widely used as a semi-quantitative method to determine and compare amounts of protein. These assays can suffer from limited sensitivity and throughput. Because western blotting involves a multistep protocol, variation and errors can occur at any step, reducing the reliability and reproducibility of results. Out western blot alternative immunoassay platforms provide easy-to-use means for protein quantification.

PerkinElmer offers a range of ELISA alternative immunoassay technologies that enable selection of the optimal immunoassay platform for your requirements. From sample compatibility to sample volume, throughput, detectable range, signal window, signal stability, reproducibility, automation compatibility, and desired speed of results, PerkinElmer offers immunoassay technology platforms, pre-configured kits, and customizable reagents for superior results.

Benefits of PerkinElmer Immunoassay Platforms:

• Wide dynamic range
• Increased sensitivity
• Reduces background noise
• Large stokes shift
• Extended signal stability
• Faster time to results

Immunoassay Technology Platforms