The Wasserman test is used to diagnose the illness known as syphilis. The test is named after its developer, the German bacteriologist August Wasserman (1866–1925). The Wasserman test was devised in 1906.

The Wasserman test is used to detect the presence of the bacterium that causes syphilis, the spirochete (spiral-shaped microorganism) Treponema pallidum. The basis of the test is the reaction of the immune system to the presence of the bacterium. Specifically, the test determines the presence or absence of an antibody that is produced in response to the presence of a constituent of the membrane of Treponema pallidum. The particular constituent is the membrane phospholipid.

The Wasserman test...