Forensic Drug Testing: A Simulated Immunoassay

Real-Life Forensic Urine Analysis.

Drug testing comes in two forms, presumptive and confirmatory. Because of the cost associated with confirmatory testing, a presumptive test is often employed first. While there are various forms of presumptive drug testing, two of the most common techniques are immunoassay testing and thin-layer chromatography. In this activity, students will perform a simulated immunoassay test on several urine samples for the detection of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine. All urine samples and testing reagents are simulated to avoid the potential hazards of actual biological specimens while still providing realistic results.