Performance Evaluation of a Prototype Architect Antibody Assay for Babesia microti.

The tick-borne protozoan is responsible for more than 200 cases of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB) infection in the United States that have occurred over the last 30 years. Measures to mitigate the risk of TTB include nucleic acid testing (NAT) and antibody testing. A fully automated prototype antibody test was developed on the Architect instrument.

Understanding interactions between immunoassay excipient proteins and surfactants at air-aqueous interface.

Air-aqueous interfacial properties of four excipient proteins commonly used in immunoassay reagent formulations were studied with shear rheology and surface characterization methods. A Du Noüy ring geometry was utilized to quantify the elastic (G') and viscous (G″) shear moduli of protein interfacial networks and to probe the effect of several nonionic surfactants at various concentrations. Time sweep protocols of buffered protein solutions yielded G' in the range of 16 mN/m for bovine serum albumin (BSA), 6 mN/m for bovine gamma globulin (BGG), 7 mN/m for Mouse IgG, and 0.