ESA Biosciences says it has developed the first stable, sensitive, and robust analytical system for routine measurement of thiols, thioethers, disulphides and other sulphur-containing compounds
Life-science researchers believe that sulphur-containing compounds are critical to a variety of biologically and clinically important processes - from oxidative metabolism, to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative-disease mechanisms, to signal transduction.
But measuring sulphur-containing compounds has been extraordinarily difficult, until now.
The new ESA system incorporates a specially developed electrochemical cell with a unique boron doped diamond (BDD) working electrode that provides excellent sensitivity and durability, while eliminating the problems (fouling, high background, mobile phase oxidation) associated with earlier ECD systems.
According to ESA vice president of sales and marketing, John Christensen, thiols, thioethers, and the like are not very stable, and effective analysis has always been very difficult to perform: "The boron doped diamond electrode, when coupled with our Coulochem III ECD system, offers researchers the solution to a long-standing problem in bioanalysis: that of effectively and efficiently analysing sulphur-containing compounds.
"Typical procedures require complex sample handling, compound derivatisation, or enzymatic methods that provide either sub-optimal or limited information at best.
"At ESA, we employed our unique combination of electrochemical and application expertise to deliver an innovative solution that will enable researchers to answer many of the important questions that have eluded them for years.
"Given the vital role that sulphur-containing compounds likely play in many biological functions, we believe that the BDD system will be an important new tool to help scientists around the globe make breakthrough discoveries that will improve health and enhance the quality of life."
