ABOUT THIS PRODUCT:
An HIV test detects HIV infection indirectly using an ELISA test against HIV antibodies in the blood. The test works by taking antibodies from the patient's blood and adding them to a microtiter plate coated with HIV antigen. If HIV antibodies are present in the blood, they will bind to the antigens on the plate. This binding is detected with an enzyme-linked secondary antibody that causes a color change upon addition of substrate. In this experiment, your students will perform an ELISA test by coating microtiter plate wells with simulated HIV antigen and then test simulated donor serum for anti-HIV antibodies.
• Learn the biology and methodology of the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
• Perform an indirect (two-step) ELISA with controls and patient samples
• Experiment replicates a clinical screen to detect HIV antibodies in patient blood samples
• Understand the molecular biology of HIV and the pathogenesis of AIDS