Which virus are you trying to detect and what is the source of the virus?

Thank You Ali Mahmoudpour and Raquel Hernandez for your responses,

We are trying to detect whole Zika Virus and not the non structural protein or its genome, as our study requires to detect the whole Virus. As of now, we have got strains of the virus commercially and culturing them.

Please let me know your thoughts

Thank you Ali for your detailed response. So the antibodies has to be strain specific ? Can antibodies raised against one strain of Virus work for another strain ?

Zika virus will only have structural proteins on it's surface. The most prominent and most antigenic of these is the E protein. You need to get an antibody against E. Which Abs did you try? How did you test them? I need more detail of your method to be able to help you further.

Thank you very much Ali

@ Raquel, I have used anti-zika virus envelope protein antibody from GeneTex.

http://www.genetex.com/Zika-virus-Envelope-protein-antibody-GTX133314.html

I used a gold nanoparticle based lateral flow assay to detect the Zika Virus. I tried both sandwich Immunoassay ( By using Gene Tex antibody and another antibody raised in a lab) and an indirect Immunoassay. But, I could not detect the Zika Virus which we culture in our lab using these antibodies. I also used antiflavivirus antibody from Millipore, but with no success

Hi Ali,

Thank You Very Much for your response. Your Suggestions sound very practical.

ZIka Virus was characterised in a different lab with Immunohistochemistry using an Ab that was raised against it.

Trying out initially with Dot Blot and ELISA seems good to start with. I am familiar with ELISA. How do you do dot blot ?

Thank you very much

Thank you very much for your valuable thoughts Ali

look for a pan flavivirus Ab called 4G2. Also, do you know that you have virus? Do you do a plaque assay to see if you have infectious virus and what the titer is? You may have a very low titer.

Thank You Raquel.

What is the Uniqueness of the pan flavivirus Ab 4G2? How it will help identify the whole Zika Virus ?

I am getting the Virus from another lab. They have characterised it. I will definitely find about the plaque assay and the titre they have got.

Thank you very much