A simple and highly repeatable viral plaque assay for enterovirus 71

Abstract

The classic plaque assay is a method for counting infectious viral particles, however its complexity limits its use in a variety of virological experiments. To simplify the operation and to improve the repeatability, we employed an improved plaque assay procedure based on Avicel to make the whole experiment easier and optimize the results on a model of Vero cells infection with Enterovirus 71(EV71). Clear plaques visible to the naked eyes can be formed on a 24-well plate or a 96-well plate without immunostaining. Following further improvement, this plaque assay procedure could be applied to other viruses, being both simple and repeatable.