Western blot


noun Biology, Medicine/Medical.

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.

Origin of Western blot

originally a facetious counterpart to Southern blot