Seven Best Tips for Choosing Right ELISA KIT
ELISA kit refers to Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay kit. The ELISA Kits enable quicker and easier identification. There are four general types of ELISA kits are available: direct, indirect, sandwich or competitive. Hence in your research there are alternatives when
selecting an Elisa kit.
Biomarkers specialists are often asked to select an ELISA kit for researchers: with thousands of ELISA references available on the market, the choice can be tricky regarding proteins for which several kits available. Many laboratories when choosing anew ELISA kit the first priority is normally the price however; it has been evident that price should be last factor to be considered. Here are some key points to consider first, when selecting the most appropriate immuno-assay kit:
#1- Test Efficiency:
There should be no issue in finding a validated kit if you work on classical models like the Human and Mouse versions. Some manufacturers now even offer a lot more choice, such as dog, pig, monkey. But when you consider a species-validated kit that should show homology to your model, you may appreciate a competitive immunoassay where the single capture antibody is not as strict as the antibody pair. Human Cystatin C in vitro ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) kit is designed for accurate quantitative measurement of human Cystatin C in supernatants, serum, plasma (heparin, EDTA) saliva, urine and human milk.
#2- The quality of samples
Though most ELISA Cystatin C kits are accredited on Serum / plasma and cultural supernatants, before collecting your samples, you should always review the kit requirements or pick the kit on your own basis.
If you want to work on cell / tissue lysates, take into account that not so many antibody pairs are able to optimally distinguish their target from the lysate protein cluster. In addition, this “matrix effect” is amplified by the detergents used for lyses. But don’t panic, the Cystatin C ELISA kit is validated on lysates, you also get a sample preparation procedure.
#3- Biomarker Concentration o
When you don’t know the marker of interest concentration on the samples, you would choose the test with the widest range of detection, such as the Cystatin C ELISA. During the validation phases, multiple dilutions may be made in parallel. Single dilutions can only be used in a long-term project if you already know the kit and how your samples behave.
#4- the sample size
ELISA Cystatin C kits may require very high sensitivity tests for each analyte from 100 μl to 10 μl. This would be a key selection criterion if you handle very small samples or very large ones. Of course, when you have many proteins to calculate, the problem is even more important. You may also consider the cystatin multiplex assays into account in this situation.
#5- Assay Optimization
ELISA kits used in R&D applications are not internationally standardized. The result obtained reflecting the amount of biomarker in the samples is antibody-dependent. So, if you want to reproduce the results of a previous assay, you have more chances with the Cystatin C kit. But, of course, your test must be the same, especially the quality of your sample.
As a matter of fact, this also applies to your own assays over time. And I would recommend that you have an internal control that can be used on all plates to ensure that your tests are reproducible. This internal control depends on your assay, which is why it cannot be included in the research kit as it is in diagnostic assays that have standardized sample preparation procedures.
#6- The experimental protocol
When multiple analytes need to be tested, try to keep the same protocol and the same brand for all of them. This will avoid a lot of confusion between the assays. But if you have the same analytes to test on a regular basis, why not consider a multiplex solution? This would save you time, samples & money. Cystatin C assays will definitely help with any combination of secretome proteins. If you have a different range of proteins to analyze, we can take advantage of Cystatin’s long-term consolidation assay experience to set up a customized kit to fit your project.
#7- The source of the EIA
For some dedicated research domains, you may refer to specialized manufacturers: for example, when you want to follow the hormonal activity of large cats or wild monkeys, you may appreciate working on non-invasive samples such as Cystatin C assays, which have a unique choice of ELISA kits validated for multiple animal species, optimized for the urine of feces samples.