Assay
Assay
An assay is an investigative procedure in laboratory medicine, pharmacology, environmental biology, and molecular biology for qualitatively assessing or quantitatively measuring the presence, amount, or functional activity of a target entity (the analyte). The analyte can be a drug, a biochemical substance, or a cell in an organism or organic sample.
Types of Assays[edit | edit source]
Assays can be broadly categorized into several types based on their purpose and methodology:
Biochemical Assays[edit | edit source]
Biochemical assays are used to measure the concentration or activity of a biochemical substance. These include:
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
- Radioimmunoassay (RIA)
- Western blot
Cell-based Assays[edit | edit source]
Cell-based assays are used to measure cellular responses to stimuli. These include:
Molecular Assays[edit | edit source]
Molecular assays are used to detect specific sequences in DNA or RNA. These include:
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
- Next-generation sequencing (NGS)
Environmental Assays[edit | edit source]
Environmental assays are used to detect and quantify pollutants or other environmental factors. These include:
Applications[edit | edit source]
Assays are crucial in various fields:
- In medicine, assays are used for diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of diseases.
- In pharmacology, they are used for drug discovery and drug development.
- In environmental science, assays help in monitoring and managing environmental pollutants.
Procedure[edit | edit source]
The procedure of an assay typically involves the following steps: 1. Sample collection 2. Sample preparation 3. Reaction setup 4. Detection and measurement 5. Data analysis
Related Pages[edit | edit source]
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
- Polymerase chain reaction
- Western blot
- Bioassay
- Drug discovery
- Environmental monitoring
Categories[edit | edit source]
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD