Storage

Stored in a refrigerator at about 4°C the kit will keep for at least four weeks.
Stored in a freezer no colder than -20°C the kit will keep for at least six months.

Contents of the 'ELISA' test kit

The box contains:
  • 10 strips of 8 plastic wells
  • 20 × small, empty plastic pipettes (one per student)
  • 20 × 1.5cm3 centrifuge tubes containing ‘serum’ samples (one per student*)
  • 2 × 1.5cm3 centrifuge tubes containing positive ‘serum’ samples labelled with red sticker (remove before use)
  • 1 × bottle containing 30cm3 of ‘wash buffer + detergent’ (dilute 1:20 for use**)
  • 10 × sealed pipettes containing enzyme substrate (blue S, one per pair of students)
  • 10 × sealed pipettes containing positive control (red +, one per pair of students)
  • 10 × sealed pipettes containing negative control (green -, one per pair of students)
  • 10 × sealed pipettes containing ‘primary antibody’ (yellow PA, one per pair of students)
  • 10 × sealed pipettes containing ‘secondary antibody’ (white SA, one per pair of students)

In addition each pair of students will require the following items not included with the kit:

  • a container (eg 100cm3 beaker) containing about 40cm3 of wash buffer.**
  • a pipette for use with the wash buffer
  • paper towels
  • scissors to cut the tips off the sealed pipettes
  • marker pens

*If you are using the kit to simulate the spread of a disease you should substitute one of the unmarked samples with one of the positive samples labelled with a red sticker. Remove the sticker before use if you do not want the source of the outbreak to be known until the testing is complete.

** The only preparation needed is to dilute the wash buffer by adding 20cm3 to every 1cm3 of buffer.