What is an elution buffer and why is it necessary?

Elution refers to the process of extracting a substance that’s adsorbed to another using an appropriate solvent. This solvent is called an elution buffer.

An elution buffer plays a vital role in all types of immunoprecipitation assays that involve releasing a target antigen from a capture antibody. The elution buffer disrupts the antibody-antigen interactions and the displaced antigens are then carried out of the column for analysis. 

Elution buffers are a major solvent in affinity chromatography and are selected for their ability to disrupt hydrophobic, ionic or hydrogen bonding.