Assay development and validation

The development of novel high-throughput assays for newly discovered biomarkers is often seen as easier than the discovery stage.  However, there is a big difference between the development of a new assay and a good new assay.  At Total Scientific, we have extensive experience in assay development, including multiplex assays, and are able to bring all of this experience to help develop the assay that you require.

One particular expertise is in the development of protein assays. The use of antibodies in assay development is commonplace, but the design and development of a good assay requires a fundamental understanding of the use of antibodies, including competition, avidity vs. affinity and buffer design.

We have a variety of techniques at our disposal for assay development and validation. Simple protein assays can be developed either in traditional ELISA format, or using homogeneous techniques such as fluorescence polarisation, which is particularly suitable for high-throughput assays due to its very quick run time. We have Luminex technology in-house, and can develop multiplex protein assays if required too.

However, beyond the relatively simple protein assays we also have expertise in developing more complex functional assays for clients, such as proliferation assays, cytotoxicity assays and migration assays. We have a full cell culture suite for growing and working with cell lines or primary cell cultures at containment level II.

Regardless of the assay developed, a full understanding of the steps required to validate that assay for your use is essential. We have been developing and validating biomarker assays for many years, and understand the factors that need to be controlled and considered in the assay validation process. Please contact us today for a no-obligation quotation.