ABSTRACT
Proteins can easily lose their structure and hence their activity upon modification and immobilisation. The immobilisation of antibodies on solid supports has undergone extensive examination and is widely applied in the life science domain. Studies on immobilisation have helped many important techniques to evolve, facilitating the development of rapid basic research tools and systems for advanced analysis, for example, affinity chromatography, biosensors, immunoassays and protein arrays. The mode of antibody immobilisation dictates the orientation and the activity of the antibody on the immunoassay surface. Antibodies possess several functional groups that have been exploited for immobilisation. The mode of antibody immobilisation dictates the orientation on the surface which ultimately impacts on the antibodies’ activity. The choice of approach for immobilisation relies on novel chemistries to link the surface functional end groups with the various free sites on the antibody. The antibody immobilisation strategy is a key component of the process that makes a significant contribution to the assay performance.
