Biological microbeads for flow‐cytometric immunoassays, enzyme titrations, and quantitative PCR

Abstract

The use of biological microbeads for various immunological and biochemical assays has been demonstrated. The flow-cytometric methods proved to be at least as sensitive as the standard biochemical or immunological tests. For proteinase K activity measurements, a single enzyme molecule in the sample could be detected. The sensitivity, versatility, and low cost of the assays may advance flow-cytometry to become a central methodological platform in most laboratories. The biological microbeads offer virtually unlimited possibilities for fluorescent labeling (addressing), conjugation of ligand binding molecules, and they are easy to handle and perform well in a multiplex format.