A High-throughput Automated ELISA Assay for Detection of IgG Antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and vaccination campaign has illustrated the need for high throughput serological assays to quantitatively measure antibody levels. Here, we present a protocol for a high-throughput colorimetric ELISA assay to detect IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The assay robustly distinguishes positive from negative samples, while controlling for potential non-specific binding from serum samples. To further eliminate background contributions, we demonstrate a computational pipeline for fitting ELISA titration curves, that produces an extremely sensitive antibody signal metric for quantitative comparisons across samples and time.

Automated summary

This article presents a protocol for a high-throughput colorimetric ELISA assay to detect IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The assay reliably measures antibody levels quantitatively and improves sensitivity by controlling for non-specific binding and eliminating background contributions.