This guide to lateral flow assay development explains how to improve assay sensitivity and reproducibility through antibody screening, membrane selection, conjugate optimisation, strip design and process control.

In this article, we explore how sample type and matrix effects influence lateral flow assay (LFA) performance, going beyond initial antibody selection and detector optimisation. Real-world samples such as whole blood, saliva, urine, swab extracts, and environmental matrices introduce variability, chemical interference, and flow challenges that can significantly impact sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility.

Just as careful antibody selection is critical for Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) performance, the choice of detector label and its conjugation strategy directly influences assay sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility and scalability. Detector labels convert binding events into measurable signals and the way these labels are prepared and evaluated has a profound impact on how reliably an assay performs. Gold nanoparticles have become the most widely used detector because of thei

Antibody selection is one of the most influential decisions made during early Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) development. Whether antibodies are sourced commercially or developed as part of a broader LFA development service, the choices made at this stage directly affect assay sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility and long-term manufacturability. Applying a structured, risk based approach to antibody evaluation can significantly reduce technical and commercial challenges later

Lateral Flow Assays (LFAs) may look simple, but successful development is far from straightforward. Behind reliable, consistent performance lies careful control of multiple interacting variables that can otherwise introduce hidden risk. Too often, development challenges surface late, when changes are costly, timelines slip and verification efforts fail. The difference between a smooth path to market and repeated re-design frequently comes down to early technical decisions an

Moya joins us at an exciting stage for our Lateral Flow Development services. Moya brings over 15 years’ experience in Lateral Flow Assay development  and a reputation for excellence in the field, with technical lab expertise, project management skills, and proven leadership. She has a strong track record of taking assays from development through to manufacturing, across multiple sectors, assay types and deployment settings. In her new role she will lead projects from feasibi

We are excited to announce that Fleet Bioprocessing Ltd . are launching a new service: from today we will be offering contract development of lateral flow devices (LFDs) to our customers. LFDs form a cornerstone of modern diagnostics, providing a rapid means to detect diseases in a point-of-care (POC) format that can be used in people’s own homes or in primary care, with broader applications spanning clinical, veterinary, industrial and environmental settings. Traditionally

Fleet Bioprocessing is pleased to celebrate its Silver Anniversary with 25 years in business. Fleet was founded in August 2000 by former members of Johnson and Johnson / Ortho Clinical Diagnostics' UK R&D group. Since then, Fleet has offered contract research, validation and manufacturing services to the diagnostics, pharmaceutical and life science research sector.