The last few years have seen breakthroughs that will transform our ability to measure important analytes. Miniaturization of reaction volumes and confinement of analytes of interest into ultrasmall containers have greatly enhanced the sensitivity and throughput of many detection methods.
In our laboratory, we are developing single molecule assays for various biomolecule targets using single-molecule array (Simoa) and digital enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (digital ELISA). The limit of detectionof Simoa technology is typically about a factor of 100 to 1000 times more sensitive than the conventional ELISA, therefore it opens up the potential for being able to measure proteins at concentrations that have never been detected before in various kinds of samples including blood, which is the main focus for Simoa-based assays.