Multiplexed serological immunoassays are widely used to measure antibody concentrations to multiple antigens in combination and polyvalent vaccines. Testing in a multiplexed format eliminates the need to conduct many separate individual assays for assessing vaccine efficacy and immunogenicity. Testing in multiplex also requires less sample, is quicker and more cost-effective, and is more reliable with less variability than separate single-plex tests.  

Bead-based suspension microarray methods are often used for multiplexed serological testing in vaccine trials and clinical laboratories to determine the immune status of vaccinated individuals. Furthermore, these assays are often deployed in public health laboratories for epidemiology and surveillance of infection and immunity.  

This Methods Collection demonstrates the use of bead-based multiplexed serological assays in immunotherapy and for detecting immune responses to vaccines against a variety of pathogens. The methods described herein will also show the versatility of the bead-based microarray technique as it can be applied to different immunoassays. These include indirect assays, which measure antibody titers, and competitive assays, which correlate titers to possible neutralizing antibody levels.