[[Light scattering]] and nephelometry are methods for the determination of the cloudiness of a solution (i.e.: insoluble particles in a solution). A light beam passes through the sample and the light is scattered by the suspended particles. The measured forward scattered light indicates the amount of the insoluble particles present in solution. Common nephelometry/light scattering applications include automated HTS drug solubility screening, long-term microbial growth kinetics, flocculation, aggregation and the monitoring of polymerization and precipitation, including immunoprecipitation.
There are instruments for measuring the dynamic or static light scattered from samples in a microplate. Companies that sell plate readers for [[dynamic light scattering]] include Wyatt Technology and [[Malvern Technology]]. Another company, [[Harbinger Biotechnology and Engineering]], specializes in an instrument for static light scattering. Laser-based microplate nephelometers are also available.
