Radial immunodiffusion and like techniques.

摘要

In a known method of immunodiffusion, a sample containing a first agent such as an antigen is introduced into a well in a lamina of agarose gel containing a second agent such as a complementary antibody. The first agent diffuses through the gel and becomes releasably bound to the second agent and, when the concentrations of agents are optimal, the agents form an extended matrix incorporating light-scattering aggregates. The size of the visible matrix enables the concentration of one of the agents to be assessed when that of the other agent is known. Each aggregate comprises very large numbers of the molecules of the agents. The invention provides an improved method in which the second agent is attached to carrier means in the gel (3) so that the carrier means constitutes part of the visible aggregations. The carrier means may constitute the gel itself and/or it may constitute particulate material such as polystyrene particles.