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 (2)
Bilibili (China-Accessible Mirrors) ★ 82
DuoSet ELISA — Sandwich ELISA Hands-on Protocol (Bio-Techne)
"Hands-on sandwich ELISA protocol explicitly showing correct plate reading at 450 nm, directly addressing wavelength selection critical to this failure"
Thermo Fisher Scientific ★ 78
How to Run an ELISA Assay – Invitrogen Kit Step-by-Step Tutorial
"Step-by-step ELISA protocol tutorial that covers proper plate reader setup and wavelength configuration to avoid low OD readings"
Source: rndsystems.com ↗
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