THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED NONISOTOPIC HOMOGENEOUS IMMUNOASSAYS.

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED NONISOTOPIC HOMOGENEOUS IMMUNOASSAYS. INITIALLY, A METHOD WILL BE DEVELOPED WHEREBY SULFHYDRL GROUPS WILL BE TRANSFERRED FROM AN ANTIGEN TO AN ANTIBODY SELECTIVELY NEAR THE LATTER'S ANTIGEN BINDING SITE. VARIOUSFLUORESCENCE OR ENZYME PROBES CAN THEN BE ATTACHED TO THE ANTIBODY AT THESE SITES. IN VIEW OF THE PROXIMITY OF ANTIGENS TO THE ANTIGEN BINDING SITE, THESE PROBES ARE EXPECTED TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO ANTIGEN BINDING. ANTIBODIESSO LABELED ARE THEREFORE IDEAL FOR HOMOGENEOUS IMMUNOASSAYS IN WHICH THE ADDITION OF A TEST SAMPLE CONTAINING THE ANTIGENIC ANALYTE WILL ELICIT AN IMMEDIATE MEASURABLE RESPONSE, SUCH AS CHANGES IN FLUORESCENCE INTENSITY OR ENZYME ACTIVITY. SUCH IMMUNOASSAYS POSSESS IMPROVEMENTS OVER EXISTING ASSAY PROCEDURES WITH RESPECT TO SENSITIVITY AS WELL AS REDUCTIONS IN COST, TIME, AND LABOR. IMMUNOASSAYS ARE ALREADY USED EXTENSIVELY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS IN MEDICINE. YET UNTAPPED ARE MARKETS IN AGRICULTURE,ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, PHARMACEUTICALS, AND OTHER INDUSTRIES THAT REQUIRE MICROANALYSES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES.