Home Failure Case Library Very Low Readings Across Plate
ELISA Development moderate

Very Low Readings Across Plate

Symptom
Consistently low optical density readings across entire plate including standards
Common Causes
  1. 1 Incorrect wavelengths used in plate reader
  2. 2 Insufficient development time
  3. 3 Coated plates are old and degraded
  4. 4 Capture antibody did not bind to plate
  5. 5 Buffer containing FCS used to reconstitute antibodies
Solutions
  1. 1 Check filters and reader wavelength settings
  2. 2 Increase development time
  3. 3 Coat new plates
  4. 4 Use proper ELISA plates (not tissue culture plates)
  5. 5 Dilute capture antibody in PBS without additional protein
  6. 6 Requalify reagents if FCS was used
Related Video (3)
Thermo Fisher Scientific ★ 85
How to Run an ELISA Assay – Invitrogen Kit Step-by-Step Tutorial
"Step-by-step ELISA protocol tutorial covers correct plate reader wavelengths and general assay execution."
Bilibili (China-Accessible Mirrors) ★ 80
DuoSet ELISA — Sandwich ELISA Hands-on Protocol (Bio-Techne)
"Hands-on sandwich ELISA protocol includes plate reading step at 450 nm, directly addressing wavelength settings."
Thermo Fisher Scientific ★ 65
How to coat your own plate and run an Invitrogen ELISA kit
"Shows plate coating and kit usage which may help verify protocol steps but does not specifically address wavelength issues."
Source: rndsystems.com ↗
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