Description: | This image depicts a 96-well microtitration āVā plate, which was being used to conduct microtiter direct agglutination tests (DAT) upon immune serum involving organisms that included Leishmania donovani, L. tropica, and L. brasiliensis, with Evans blue dye having been added to each well. Into each well, a solution is dispensed, usually saline, along with a small amount of Evans blue dye, and serum suspected of containing antibodies to the Leishmania spp. organisms under consideration. Subsequently, to this mixture, which will vary quantitatively per each respective well, an antigen suspension, prepared from formalin-killed promastigote stages of Leishmania spp. cultures is added. If antibodies to the Leishmania spp. organisms are present, an agglutination reaction will occur. |