An experimental assay is a method to obtain a measurement with a defined instrument on a sample or subsample. Multiple assay types may be applied on the same sample or subsample, if the measurement does not destroy it. For instance, the wet weight
An experimental assay is a method to obtain a measurement with a defined instrument on a sample or subsample. Multiple assay types may be applied on the same sample or subsample, if the measurement does not destroy it. For instance, the wet weight of a permeabilized muscle fibre preparation can be determined based on a specific laboratory protocol (gravimetric assay), maintaining the functional integrity of the sample, which then can be used in a respirometric assay, followed by a spectrophotometric assay for measurement of protein content. The experimental design determines which types of assays have to be applied for a complete experiment. Destructive assays, such as determination of prote