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dc.contributor.authorOrchard, Robert Grahamen_NZ
dc.date.accessioned2007-10-01T10:29:09Z
dc.date.available2008-01-10T16:21:29Z
dc.date.issued2007en_NZ
dc.identifier.citationOrchard, R. G. (2007). A flow-through enzyme-linked immunoassay for progesterone (Thesis, Master of Science (MSc)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/2277en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/2277
dc.description.abstractBovine reproductive performance is one of the most important factors influencing dairy farm profitability. Present-day techniques for oestrus- and pregnancy-detection are unreliable and labour-intensive. Although measuring milk-progesterone at regular intervals allows the fertility status of a cow to be determined reliably, the labour cost of collecting and analysing samples is prohibitive. This project aimed to develop a progesterone sensing system that could be automated and integrated with the milking unit, thus minimising labour costs. The proposed system involved mixing the milk sample with an enzyme-antibody conjugate and then passing the sample through a column containing immobilised progesterone. Any progesterone in the milk would inhibit conjugate binding to the column. An enzyme substrate would then flow through the column and bound conjugate would be detected as a colour change at the column's outlet. Periodate-coupling was used to attach horseradish peroxidase enzyme to anti-progesterone antibody, and progesterone-3-carboxymethyloxime was immobilised on the polystyrene bead surface using amine-coupling. Both techniques are widely used. Initial experiments attempted to verify the success of these two reactions simultaneously, whereas later experiments focused on the bead-coating. Beads were suspended in a specially-constructed syringe and the antibody activity of the eluted solution was measured by SPR. However, a combination of non-specific binding and antibody stability and activity issues meant neither reaction was conclusively verified. Many trials were done to investigate how to overcome the problems encountered but a suitable, workable procedure was not developed. Despite poor progress, the problems encountered did not undermine the project's potential. There remains optimism of developing an on-line method if research were to continue.en_NZ
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherThe University of Waikatoen_NZ
dc.rightsAll items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
dc.subjectprogesteroneen_NZ
dc.subjectbovineen_NZ
dc.subjectfertilityen_NZ
dc.subjectreproductionen_NZ
dc.subjectELISAen_NZ
dc.subjectenzymeen_NZ
dc.subjectassayen_NZ
dc.subjectcolumnen_NZ
dc.subjectbeadsen_NZ
dc.titleA flow-through enzyme-linked immunoassay for progesteroneen_NZ
dc.typeThesisen_NZ
thesis.degree.disciplineScience and Engineeringen_NZ
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Waikatoen_NZ
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)en_NZ
uow.date.accession2007-10-01T10:29:09Zen_NZ
uow.date.available2008-01-10T16:21:29Zen_NZ
uow.identifier.adthttp://adt.waikato.ac.nz/public/adt-uow20071001.102909en_NZ
uow.date.migrated2009-06-09T23:29:26Zen_NZ
pubs.place-of-publicationHamilton, New Zealanden_NZ


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