Lateral Flow test - For detection of Ab in blood (Apr/26/2006 )

I am trying to develop a lateral flow test to detect Ab in blood. I have no special equipment, although the theory is sound. Here's the plan: I want to have two test lines, one positive control and one test line. These I am binding to a nitrocellulose membrane (I have just been pipetting directly onto the membrane and letting it dry). I have a conjugate pad, for the gold-labeled Ab, although I have no idea how to add this to the conjugate pad. The literature says to "spray" the Ab onto the pad, although I have no idea how to do this without special equipment. The absorbent pad is just a cotton pad at the end of the test to pull the reagents thru the test. Finally, all these reagents need to be bound in some manner for the test to work. The only cassettes I have heard about are made special by a piece of equipment and you cannot purchase the cassettes alone. Does anyone have any help, suggestions, or know of any vendors that can help me out? This is my master's project and I have been struggling with it for months! Any help would be wonderful!

[size=2]Hi... i am not too sure.. but for the lines.. i think using a pipette tip may not be ur best solution as the lines may be broad. try using something that can give you a finer line.. well.. you can jst tip you abs on the paper.. .then leave it to dry in the oven i think.. you may wnt to try tht..as for the cassettes.. i am not sure where you can purchase it... but i used to recycle the old cassettes... if you know of any one in ur lab tht uses lateral flow test.. you can jst collect them after they have used it.. then you peel open the cassette.. then you can jst simply wash it and reuse it.. if not you can jst try using the paper.. without the cassette... i am not too sure cause i ahve not really done this... best of luck.. let me know how it goes..