Question (46831) | Complex IV Rodent Enzyme Activity Dipstick Assay Kit (ab109878)

Thank you for your inquiry.

I can confirm that Dipsticks could be scanned with a regular document scanner and then signal intensity of the image could be analyzed with Image J software (which can be downloaded for Free).

The other option is to simply use visual inspection. This can be done on the dipstick kits that contain a control protein (Frataxin or GFP). The visual inspection method also requires to user to set aside at least 8 dipsticks to generate a calibration curve (with small gaps between data points). The calibration curve generated with the standard protein can be made into a “visual reference card”. The test sample is then compared against the visual reference card by matching up the reporter line density of the processed dipstick in the appropriate slot (see image below). The value (or value range) can then be interpolated based on the position relative to the antigen levels of the two lines immediately to the left and to the right. The accuracy of the value will be inversely proportional to the dilution factor of the calibration curve.

Dipstick Visual Reference Card Interpolation is attached. The unknown test sample reporter line fits neatly into the slot between the standard #6 and 7.

We have tested this last method with the GFP dipstick and the Frataxin dipstick (using 4 – 8 naïve testers) and have obtained a percentage error less than 15% in comparison to the instrument reading.

I hope this information is helpful.