2001 AACC Annual Meeting Charlotte, North Carolina October 14-18, 2001 Charlotte Convention Center

Antibody-based (immunochemical) methods have proven to be extremely useful for the analysis of transgenic plants. Antibody-based methods have been developed, validated and successfully applied to sample analysis for a number of transgenic plant products. The process for developing an immunochemical method for transgenic plant analysis begins shortly after gene discovery. Recombinant proteins are expressed and purified for use as immunogens and analytical standards. Synthetic peptides may also be used to generate antibodies if proteins are not readily available. After antibodies are produced, Western blot and/or ELISA methods are developed and validated. The data generated using immunochemical methods is used to make critical decisions at all stages of product development from gene discovery, transformation and event selection through back crossing, scale-up, seed quality control and product registration. Examples illustrating specific applications of immunochemical methods such as promoter evaluation, progeny screening, event selection and regulatory expression studies will be discussed. Plant life science companies (technology providers) did not anticipate the needs for analytical methods that have been identified for the purposes of regulating trade or to meet the demand for consumer preferences. The original methods developed for product development are for the detection and/or quantification of transgenic proteins or DNA in plant tissues or seed. Although the same basic product development detection technologies, such as ELISA or PCR may also be appropriate for testing grain, food ingredients and food, the sampling, extraction, reference standards and interpretation of the data may be quite different for the two applications.