Immunological Methods

Abstract

The specificity with which antibodies react with their target forms the basis of a number of analytical methods that can be used to confirm the identity of a protein, and to screen samples (e.g., column fractions) for the presence of a specific protein. Two of the most common immunochemical methods for protein analysis are Western blots and antibody-capture assays. These shall be described in detail in this chapter. Descriptions of other immuno-chemical methods, such as rocket electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation can be found in several texts that are devoted exclusively to immuno-chemistry (Axelsen, 1975; Bjerrum and Heegaard, 1988; Harlow and Lane, 1988). Before describing these analytical methods, a brief overview of immunology is presented, so that the terms used later in this chapter are clearly defined. A more thorough discussion of antibodies and immunology can be found in the text by Harlow and Lane (1988).