Controls and wet-lab plan
Mon, Sep 28, 2026 · Week 6 · Genetics of Disease (Medical Interventions)
Today's goal: Explain why positive and negative controls are essential and finalize your plan for the wet ELISA.
What a finished product looks like
This is a model of the work you should turn in today. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your data and wording should be your own.
Positive control (my words): a well that contains the target antigen, so it should turn color. If it stays clear, the reagents are not working and no result can be trusted.
Negative control (my words): a well with no antigen, so it should stay clear. If it turns color, there is contamination or a reagent error.
What it means if the negative control turns positive: something contaminated the plate or a reagent was wrong, so I cannot trust any of the sample results from that run.
Predicted control colors: positive control = strong color; negative control = clear or near-clear.
Safety: goggles and gloves on before any reagents; remove gloves inside-out.
| Well | Contents | Expected color |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Positive control (antigen) | Strong color |
| A2 | Negative control (no antigen) | Clear |
| A3 | Patient sample 1 | To be read |
| A4 | Patient sample 2 | To be read |
Also due today: Keep in notebook; bring to Wednesday's wet ELISA lab.
WebXam problem for today's skill
One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.
Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.