Figure 1.
A schematic comparing enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and lateral flow (LF) assays. The ELISA uses an enzyme such as horseradish peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase linked to an antibody to generate either a color change or an electrochemical signal. The ELISA requires multiple washes. The LF assay often uses visual labels such as gold nanoparticles and includes a specific capture line and a control line. The control line binds the labeled conjugate directly without a target and ensures that the sample has flowed up the LF strip