ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is a common laboratory technique used to measure the concentration of an analyte like antibodies or antigens in solution. It works based on the principle of antigen-antibody binding, using an enzyme conjugate attached to a secondary antibody that binds to the antibody-antigen complex. There are different types of ELISA including indirect, direct, sandwich, and competitive. ELISA has many applications like screening blood donations, measuring hormone levels, detecting infections and drugs.