Coupled Bioluminescent Assays: Methods, Evaluations, and Applications

“The chapters of the book are well balanced…. Recommended to scientist and students who want to improve their knowledge of bioluminescent coupled assays and bioluminescence in general.” (Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, August 2009)

Brings the field of coupled bioluminescence to mainstream science

This book enables readers to take full advantage of coupled bioluminescent (CB) assay techniques by demonstrating how they are used to solve real-world problems. It guides readers involved in drug discovery and biomedicine through a broad range of valuable CB techniques, including assays of kinases, phosphatases, and other enzymes; cytotoxicity measurements; and high-throughput screening of receptor modulators. In each case, CB methods are compared with competing technologies to enable informed choices. In addition, the book’s coverage of CB methods in biomonitoring; analysis of nitrate, a critical marker of explosives residue and fertilizer runoff; and nerve agent and pesticide detection supports the work of researchers involved in biodefense as well as environmental and food sciences.

Coupled Bioluminescent Assays is divided into three parts:

• Background to coupled bioluminescent assays

• Biomedical applications of coupled bioluminescence

• Other applications of coupled bioluminescence

Highlights of coverage include:

• CB cytotoxicity assays

• CB assays of kinases and phosphatases

• CB measurements of G protein coupled receptor activity

• Assessment of nitric oxide synthase activity by CB

• CB determination of bioburden and sterility

• Emerging regulatory concerns

Each chapter clearly presents both underlying theory and applications. References facilitate further investigations by guiding readers to the primary literature.

CB techniques offer advantages in speed and sensitivity that fluorometric techniques generally cannot match. Bioluminescent reaction schemes are typically one to several orders of magnitude more sensitive than fluorometric assays, yet these techniques have been vastly underutilized. With this book as their guide, chemists, biochemists, and molecular biologists can take full advantage of a broad range of available CB assays to achieve their research goals.