title: "ADR 001: Primary readout for cytokine pilot — ELISA vs bead multiplex" project: research-lab-template tags:

• adr
• decision
• assay date: 2026-04-07

ADR 001: Primary readout for cytokine pilot — ELISA vs bead multiplex

Status

Accepted (template example)

Context

The cytokine secretion pilot needs a quantitative primary endpoint for six analytes across 48 conditions. Turnaround, cost, and dynamic range differ between plate ELISA and bead-based multiplex assays.

Decision drivers

• Sample volume limited to 50 µL per technical replicate.
• Need semi-high throughput within two weeks of cell treatment.
• Lab has existing plate reader but no dedicated Luminex on site.

Options considered

1. ELISA panels (six separate kits) — gold-standard familiarity; high sample consumption; slower batching.
2. Bead multiplex (outsourced or core facility) — lower volume per analyte; dependency on core queue; higher per-sample fee.
3. Mesoscale discovery (MSD) — excellent sensitivity; overkill for pilot budget in this template scenario.

Decision

Proceed with bead multiplex via university core for the pilot primary endpoint; retain ELISA for confirmatory spot checks on two highest-variance analytes.

Consequences

Fits volume and throughput; downside is core shipping/batching delays—lock the sample manifest early. Revisit after the pilot if CV% or LOD miss the experiment plan.