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Overview of Elisa Testing[ Applicability of ELISA Testing ] Test kits using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) techniques have been widely accepted and used in many analytical situations such as detecting pathogens, mycotoxins and in the widely recognized home pregnancy tests. In an ELISA test for genetically modified agricultural product, the novel protein that is made by the bioengineered gene, is isolated and antibodies are raised against specific surface structures (epitopes) of this protein. If proteins are present, they are bound to the walls of the test kit and react with tagged antibodies resulting in a change of color.
In some commercial kits it is possible to get a quantified reading of the amount of targeted protein by preparing a standard curve and using a photometric reader to compare the degree of color change of the sample to the standard curve. Even though this is a relatively simple analytical procedure, it does require several hours, laboratory equipment and some training for the technicians. Therefore it is not applicable for field situations or as a quick test for accepting/rejecting loads of incoming grain at a plant or elevator.
In order to meet the need for fast, low-technical training field situation lateral flow test strips incorporate the ELISA concept into a field use application. Using lateral flow test strips involves crushing a soybean or corn kernel, immersing it in a buffer solution and then inserting a lateral flow test strip that has an area which has been treated with specific antibodies. A color change on the treated area indicates a positive reaction for the target protein. A control reaction on another section of the strip indicates a successful test. These test strips are fast, cheap and require minimal training and equipment. » Read about the Applicability
of ELISA Testing
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