immunoassay

noun

im·​mu·​no·​as·​say ˌi-myə-nō-ˈa-ˌsā How to pronounce immunoassay (audio)
i-ˌmyü-nō-,
-a-ˈsā How to pronounce immunoassay (audio)
: a technique or test used to detect the presence or quantity of a substance (such as a protein) based on its capacity to act as an antigen
immunoassayable adjective

Examples of immunoassay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These tests typically rely on immunoassay techniques that look for metabolites produced by the breakdown of various drugs in the body. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2023 Quanterix, a company in Billerica, Mass., has developed an immunoassay that detects amyloid and tau in conjunction with other neurological markers and inflammatory proteins. Esther Landhuis, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2021 Antibody and antigen tests are typically run as lateral flow immunoassays, says Lalli, and—like pregnancy tests—come as a dipstick. Naomi Xu Elegant, Fortune, 26 May 2020 The new method uses a conventional fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA), a technique that harnesses fluorescent dye and light to detect antibodies. Fox News, 21 Apr. 2020 Another difficulty stemmed from Holmes’s insistence that the miniLab be capable of performing the four major classes of blood tests: immunoassays, general chemistry assays, hematology assays, and assays that relied on the amplification of DNA. John Carreyrou, WIRED, 21 May 2018 The Mini Lab was supposed to do more than just immunoassays. Recode Staff, Recode, 3 June 2018 The reality is that none of those immunoassays had been validated. Recode Staff, Recode, 3 June 2018 In the 1930s, archaeologists attempted (with little success) to determine the blood types of mummies by identifying proteins with immunoassays, which test for antibody-antigen reactions. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 15 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immunoassay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

immuno- + assay entry 2

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immunoassay was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near immunoassay

Cite this Entry

“Immunoassay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immunoassay. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

immunoassay

noun
im·​mu·​no·​as·​say ˌim-yə-nō-ˈas-ˌā How to pronounce immunoassay (audio) im-ˌyü-nō- How to pronounce immunoassay (audio)
-a-ˈsā
: a technique or test (as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) used to detect the presence or quantity of a substance (as a protein) based on its capacity to act as an antigen or antibody
immunoassay transitive verb
immunoassayable adjective
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