Automation in ELISA greatly enhances workflow

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The automation of ELISA systems, in the recent past, has contributed to improving the turnaround time for critical tests.

Enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) is a highly sensitive and selective analytical technique that is commonly used to detect the presence of a specific protein (antigen or antibody) in blood samples. Whether a lab works with direct, indirect, sandwich or competitive assays, ELISA protocols involve an exhausting number of dispensing, washing and incubating steps. However, this continues to remain the most widely used microplate assay in diagnostics and research. 

Need for automation

In the wake of the increasing need to conduct different assays for infectious disease and hormone panels, management of multiple ELISA protocols manually, can be time-consuming. This is where automation of ELISA protocols plays a role in ensuring reliability and consistency in:

  • Time and temperature of incubation
  • Reproducibility of washing process to avoid carry-over of sample and reagents
  • Simultaneous and sequential dispensing through robotic probes

Besides this, most automated ELISA processors are open systems, allowing flexibility and greater degree of accommodation in expanding the test menu. Most importantly, automation helps in improving workflow efficiency by freeing the laboratory staff from repetitive steps. In fact, automation greatly improves the quality of data generated. It has been noted that on a standardized and validated automated system, replicates on a plate as well as across the plates, show lower co-efficient of variation (CV) when compared to a manual system. 

Choosing the right ELISA automation for your lab

In order to gain maximum from automation, one should determine the scale and scope of automation, based on the lab requirement and choose an instrument accordingly. Thoughtful planning and careful implementation, based on test menu, workload and lab infrastructure, can determine the overall success of automating the ELISA process.

Automation can be implemented on the simplest assay format like an ELISA plate reader to a high capacity, modular 6-plate processors for multiple parameters. Transasia Bio-Medicals offers a complete range of fully automated 2 ½ and six plate ELISA microprocessors for a wide range of infectious diseases and hormone assays.


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