Reagent

About: Reagent is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 60091 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1234928 citations. The topic is also known as: reagens.

Chemical transformations in individual ultrasmall biomimetic containers.

Abstract: Individual phospholipid vesicles, 1 to 5 micrometers in diameter, containing a single reagent or a complete reaction system, were immobilized with an infrared laser optical trap or by adhesion to modified borosilicate glass surfaces. Chemical transformations were initiated either by electroporation or by electrofusion, in each case through application of a short (10-microsecond), intense (20 to 50 kilovolts per centimeter) electric pulse delivered across ultramicroelectrodes. Product formation was monitored by far-field laser fluorescence microscopy. The ultrasmall characteristic of this reaction volume led to rapid diffusional mixing that permits the study of fast chemical kinetics. This technique is also well suited for the study of reaction dynamics of biological molecules within lipid-enclosed nanoenvironments that mimic cell membranes.

Analytical Uses of Immobilized Enzymes

Abstract: Although soluble enzymes can be used as excellent reagents for the analysis of inorganic and organic compounds, they face a serious challenge when attempts are made to utilize them in complex matrices, like blood or crude water. Problems center about the effect of activators, inhibitors, other substrates, pH, and temperature on the soluble enzyme. However, upon immobilization most of these effects can be eliminated or minimized. For example, an enzyme with a narrow pH range of 4–6 can be transformed upon insolubilization to a more viable reagent with a broad pH range of 4–10. Also, following immobilization the enzymes are much more stable; they can be heated to 37, 40 or 50°C, with little loss of activity; and the activity persists after several thousand analysis are performed. However, the biggest advantage, analytically speaking, of immobilization, is that the insolubilized reagent becomes a much more selective reagent. No longer do many activators and inhibitors have an effect; only the most powerful can actually attack the enzyme.

Heterogenous specific binding assay employing a cycling reactant as label

Abstract: An improved heterogenous specific binding assay method which employs a substance having reactant activity, i.e., a reactant, as a labeling substance in the detection of a ligand in a liquid medium. The method is carried out using reagent means which comprises, as its labeled constituent, a conjugate formed of a specific binding substance coupled to the reactant. The reactant advantageously is an enzymatic reactant such as an enzyme substrate or coenzyme. The activity of the conjugated reactant as a constituent of a predetermined reaction system is utilized as means for monitoring the extent of binding of the labeled constituent in conventional heterogenous specific binding assay schemes. The presence of a ligand in a liquid medium may be determined following conventional competitive binding manipulative techniques. After the necessary separation of the bound-and free-phases resulting in the specific binding reaction system, the extent of binding of the labeled constituent is determined by contacting either phase with the necessary materials to form the predetermined monitoring reaction system in which the labeling substance is active and assessing reactant activity therein.