Should I use streptavidin beads or gold particles when developing my IVD kits? In order to ensure the success of a protocol, it is essential to have a clear and unbiased knowledge base and a reliable source of reference material. When trying to decide the best platform or application to use for a process, it is critical to ensure that the information on which the decision will be based is generic and factual, and not propagated as promotional data.
This post is about choosing the right platform for a given biomarker. If you want detailed information about this topic, download our free ebook The Advanced Guide for the use of Magnetic Beads in Chemiluminescent Immunoassays:
Academic publications and suppliers as references
Academic publications are a highly recommended source of knowledge. Texts such as “Bioconjugate Techniques” by Greg T. Hermanson, for instance, serve as technical guides while also providing an impartial overview of commercially available products. Such references can be used to better inform any decisions that will have to be made regarding the choice of technique or material to be utilized, as well as to troubleshoot some processes.
Another way to broaden one’s knowledge base is to develop a good relationship with suppliers who are capable of answering questions in an informed manner. While there is some inherent bias associated with this approach, that bias can be overcome by gathering information from a number of different suppliers and then sifting through the acquired data.
But have yoo thought about consultancies?
There are a number of independent IVD Assay Development companies that offer Consultancy and/or reagent development. They can be of help from very early stage and through all stages of the development. Once the decision to work with a particular process and platform has been made, any questions that arise in the course of developing an assay can be answered by the company that manufactures the equipment and/or the reagents being utilized. Additional assistance in this area might be available from suppliers, if necessary.
It is important, when researching a technique, to cull the information once it has been gathered. Sorting the biased and self-promotional data from the impartial data is essential to ultimately ensuring well-informed decisions, successful protocols, and glitch-free assay development.
Don't forget to check these posts from our blog in order to get a deeper insight into magnetic beads and immunoassays:
- Using streptavidin magnetic beads in Chemiluminescent Immunoassays
- Moving from Gold Particles to Magnetic Beads in IVD Assays
- Moving from Latex Particles to Magnetic Latex Particles
