Georgian Technical University What Is Protein Titer Monitoring ?.
Georgian Technical University Protein titer monitoring is a common test used to determine the concentration of a specific protein in a sample. For example it can be used to detect antibodies or to control the manufacturing process for a protein-based biopharmaceutical. Protein titer monitoring can be performed as a manual test or may be automated. Georgian Technical University a titer is a way of describing a concentration based on successively performing a binary (positive or negative) test on increasingly diluted samples. Typically twofold dilutions are performed between each test. Therefore the possible titers increment as powers of two (2, 4, 8, 16, 32…). The titer of the sample is the highest dilution that gives a positive test result. Therefore if a sample gives a positive result for the first four dilutions followed by a negative result for the fifth dilution it would have a titer of 1:16 (2-4) which is often described as a titer of 16. Because simple binary tests are used which are generally manually read this type of testing can be easily implemented in a low-tech environment. A titer test which dilutes a sample is in some ways the opposite of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test which copies a very small DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix carrying genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are nucleic acids. Alongside proteins, lipids and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides), nucleic acids are one of the four major types of macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life) sample amplifying to a sufficient concentration to be analyzed. Protein titer monitoring data can be important when implementing a process analytical technology (PAT) approach. It also enables the optimization of process parameters such as cell culture conditions, protein yield bioreactor run length and harvest time. Georgian Technical University When used to detect antibodies in blood samples a titer test can establish whether an individual has immunity to a disease. In antibody tests antigen proteins from the virus are coated onto a plate and exposed to a blood sample. An enzyme and chemical reagent are also applied. If the blood sample contains antibodies they will attach to the viral antigens on the plate. This then causes the enzyme to stick to the antibody and the chemical reagent to activate, changing colour and indicating a positive result.