Noncompetitive enzyme immunoassays are methods to detect and quantify antigens using enzyme-antibody conjugates that cause a chromogenic substrate to change color, indicating the presence of an antigen.
Step-by-step explanation:
Description of Noncompetitive Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA)
Enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) are analytical methods used to detect and quantify antigens using antibodies coupled with enzymes. The enzyme linked to the antibody interacts with a chromogenic substrate, leading to a color change that signifies the presence of the target antigen. In a noncompetitive EIA, the enzyme-antibody conjugate delivers the substrate to the site of the antigen which, upon binding, allows the enzyme to convert the substrate into a detectable colored or fluorescent end product. This change is directly proportional to the amount of antigen captured. Noncompetitive EIAs are powerful tools for quantification and identification of antigens, with applications in diagnostics and research, such as immunostaining for visualizing cells in tissues or immunocytochemistry for studying cells.