Immunoassay
IMMUNOASSAY CORE FACILITY
The Immunoassay Core Facility is a small research facility set up within Centre for Cardiovascular Science to provide help and support to those researchers within CVS and from other Centres within the wider University that are interested in utilising immunoassays in their ongoing research projects.
Groups external to Edinburgh University are welcome to look for support from the Facility but must make an initial contact outlining their full research plan before a decision on accepting the work can be made.
The purpose of the core is to be available to provide help and advice on the selection, performance and troubleshooting of immunoassays in both animal model and clinical research projects. It can also provide the researcher further support with the interpretation and analysis of their raw data.
The facility has a wide experience in Enzyme Linked Immunoassay (ELISA), Luminescent Immunoassay and Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and can provide support and advice for all of these assay types.
Support costs for use of the core facility will be kept to a minimum and are only made for the usage and replacement costs of the instruments, equipment and consumables within the laboratory. These costs tend to be set at standard levels annually and will be explained to researchers in advance of using the facility.
Immunoassays done by the researcher do not incur any other charges.
At the moment the core facility has the following instruments available for use
ELISA
Grifols “Triturus” multiwavelength Robotic Analyser,
DYNEX MRX plate reader
Two Thermo Multiskan Ascent plate readers
ANTHOS AW-1 and ASYS Atlantis Plate washers
RIA
LKB Wallac Wizard 1471 Gamma Counter
The research facility can also provide a full analytical service whereby trained technical staff in the core will select the kit, analyse the samples and provide fully validated results for a researcher. This service costs more to use but is also run on a non-profit cost basis. The details on the full analytical service are carefully costed to ensure staff retention, consumable and kit costs and the servicing and purchase of new equipment and on application for this service a full breakdown of the total cost for the particular assay and sample numbers will be given.
Immunoassays currently run by Vascular Biology laboratory staff for researchers using the full analytical service include....
RIA
Endothelin-1 in plasma and urine, Big Endothelin-1, Angiotensin I, Angiotensin II, Plasma Renin Activity, Aldosterone, Vasopressin, Atrial Natriuretic Peptide and Urotensin II.
ELISA
tPA, PAI-1, von Willebrand Factor, cyclic GMP, Brain Natriuretic Peptide fragment, Cystatin C, Histamine, sCD40L, IL-6, IL-8, serum Amylase, hsCRP, TNF, Cotinine and oxLDL
If you are interested in further details about the support we can give you with your immunoassay work, then contact Neil Johnston on 0131 242 9218 or N.R.Johnston@ed.ac.uk .