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Substrate

Definition

The compound converted by the reporter enzyme into a coloured product. For HRP, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) is the standard substrate, producing a blue product that turns yellow after the stop reagent is added. The intensity of colour is proportional to enzyme activity, which is proportional to the amount of bound analyte.

Related terms

Competitive ELISA
An ELISA format in which sample antigen competes with a fixed quantity of labelled antigen for a limited number of antibody binding...
Cross-reactivity
The capacity of an antibody raised against one analyte to bind structurally related compounds. In RIA, cross-reactivity is the main driver of...
Enzyme conjugate
An antibody (or antigen) chemically linked to a reporter enzyme, most commonly horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or alkaline phosphatase (AP). The enzyme catalyses...
Sandwich ELISA
An ELISA format in which a capture antibody immobilised on the plate binds one epitope of the target antigen, and a separate...
Solid phase
The inert surface to which an antigen or antibody is adsorbed at the start of an ELISA. Usually the well walls of...

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