Western blot

noun

, Biology, Medicine/Medical.

1. a highly sensitive procedure for identifying and measuring the amount of a specific protein in a mixed extract, as in testing for AIDS virus protein in a blood sample: proteins are separated by gel electrophoresis and transferred to a special filter paper, on which the protein under investigation can be detected by a probe, as the binding of a labeled antibody.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Western blot¹

Originally a facetious counterpart to Southern blot

Example Sentences

Among the most common irregularities he found were results from a western blot, a method used to detect proteins, that were copied and pasted across different experiments, mistakenly suggesting that a given protein had been identified.

From New York Times

The panel also found that Wang “starkly siloed” Western blot preparation in his lab, apparently preparing nearly all such images himself—a highly unusual practice for a lab’s principal investigator.

From Science Magazine

The committee noted in its report, however, that three of its members “routinely conduct experiments involving protein biochemistry and two out of four routinely conduct and publish western blot experiments.”

From Science Magazine

There is another antibody test, called the herpes Western blot, that scientists consider the gold standard in diagnosing herpes — but the test is only available through the University of Washington, which can be cumbersome and expensive for patients to obtain.

From New York Times

These included a protein identification method known as the Western blot.

From Science Magazine