LAL TEST

http://www.horseshoecrab.org/med/med.html = best link=

http://www.cambrex.com/content/bioscience/article.class.126.id.1317
To obtain the lysate required for the LAL test, horseshoe crabs are taken from the ocean floor, and a small amount of their blood is drawn. The animals are then returned unharmed to the sea. Next, the crabs’ blood cells (amebocytes) are separated and lysed to obtain the cellular proteins.

http://www.ocean.udel.edu/horseshoecrab/Research/lal.html

The Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test is in vitro assay for detection and quantitation of bacterial endotoxin. Validated test methods performed at Nelson Laboratories includes the gel clot technique and the kinetic turbidimetric and chromogenic (colorimetric) assays.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limulus_Amebocyte_Lysate
Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) is an aqueous extract of blood cells (amebocytes) from the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus. LAL reacts with bacterial endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a membrane component of Gram negative bacteria. This reaction is the basis of the LAL test, which is used for the detection and quantitation of bacterial endotoxins.

There are three basic LAL test methodologies: gel-clot, turbidimetric, and chromogenic. The primary application for LAL is the testing of parenteral pharmaceuticals and medical devices that contact blood or cerebral spinal fluid