Allergy Test Could Spot Unexpected Milk Allergens Medical Diagnostics: Test can identify both common and unfamiliar milk allergens for a patient

Researchers run an allergic patient’s blood serum (top row) past a column of magnetic beads (orange circles) dotted with antibodies (black Y-shapes) that bind human immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. The scientists next chemically crosslink any bound IgE antibodies (red Y-shapes) to the beads, then expose the now-personalized IgE-bound column to milk (bottom row). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) identifies the mass and helps predict the structure of both familiar and unfamiliar bound milk allergens.