There is significant confusion between the ideal glomalin protein, the antibody-reactive extract portion termed "glomalin", and GRSP.

"Glomalin" was first detected by the Mab32B11 ELISA assay in 1987. According to the scientist that proposed the hypothetical protein, Sarah F. Wright, it eluded extraction until 1996 because "It requires an unusual effort to dislodge glomalin for study: a bath in citrate combined with heating at 250 °F (121 °C) for at least an hour.... No other soil glue found to date required anything as drastic