assaydependent

Assaydependent is an adjective used to describe results or conclusions that vary with the specific assay employed to measure them. In scientific literature, the term signals that the outcome of a measurement is contingent on the assay method used, including the conditions, reagents, and detection strategy.

Differences across assays can arise from substrate choice, detection chemistry, dynamic range, co-factors, or assay design. Examples include enzyme inhibition, where IC50 values can differ between enzyme assays that use different substrates or co-factors; cytotoxicity measurements, where viability readouts such as MTT, resazurin, or ATP assays can yield different toxicity levels for the same compound; and protein quantification, where different immunoassays may report varying concentrations due to antibody specificity or epitope accessibility.

Implications of assay dependence include challenges in comparing results across studies and the potential for misleading conclusions if the assay context is not considered. Best practices involve validating findings with orthogonal assays, carefully reporting assay details (type, substrate or target, reagents, detection method, cell line or enzyme source, and experimental conditions), and interpreting results within the limitations and context of the chosen assay. In assay development and regulatory discussions, recognizing assay dependence supports more robust conclusions and reproducibility.