Unit 1 - Topic 1 - Laboratory Techniques for Biologists - Section D - Detecting proteins using antibodies

Question 1

What are immunoassay techniques used to do

Answer 1

Detect and identify specific proteins

Question 2

What do immunoassay techniques use

Answer 2

These techniques use stocks of antibodies with the same specificity, known as monoclonal antibodies

Question 3

What is an antibody specific to the protein antigen linked to

Answer 3

A chemical ‘label’

Question 4

What is a chemical ‘label’

Answer 4

Often a reporter enzyme producing a colour change, but chemiluminescence, fluorescence and other reporters can be used.

Question 5

In some cases what can assay use to detect the presence of antibodies

Answer 5

Specific antigen

Question 6

What is Western blotting

Answer 6

Western blotting is a technique, used after SDS–PAGE electrophoresis. The separated proteins from the gel are transferred (blotted) onto a solid medium

Question 7

How can proteins be identified

Answer 7

Using specific antibodies that have reporter enzymes attached