Assay
An assay is a procedure for the determination of the amount of a particular constituent of a mixture.
DNA
Assays for studying interactions of protein with DNA include:
Viruses
The number of viruses present in a sample can be determined using a viral plaque assay. This technique requires counting the number of plaques formed by a virus sample, from which the actual virus concentration can be determined.
Cellular secretions
The number of cells which secrete a particular substance (say, a specific antibody or cytokine) can be determined using an ELISPOT assay.
Coins
An assayor is often assigned to each mint to determine and assure that all coins produced there have the correct content or purity of each metal in them. This is particularly important with gold coins, and with silver ones as well.
Precious Metals
Precious metals, platinum, gold and silver, used in jewellery, silverware and other items, are also assayed to test the purity of the metal, to protect consumers. This is done in the UK by an Assay Office. Once an item has been assayed, it is usually hallmarked to the relevant standard.
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