A rapid and simple method for efficient coating of microtiter plates using low amounts of antigen in the presence of detergent.

Bio-Beads SM-2 have previously been used for the removal of non-ionic detergents from protein solutions. Addition of Bio-Beads SM-2 to detergent solubilized antigen significantly enhanced the immobilization of antigen to microtiter wells. Depending on the incubation time used 35-45% of the applied antigen could be immobilized to the microtiter wells. Using this method and a subsequent ELISA procedure it was possible to detect monoclonal antibodies in hybridoma supernatants after coating microtiter wells with 100 microliters of a solution containing 16 ng antigen/ml in the presence of 0.01% Triton X-100.