Understanding Bioanalytical Chemistry E-Book

Victor A. Gault

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 387

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

"The title captures the ethos and content precisely. It brings basic chemistry into real life with examples that illustrate how chemical principals are inherent to bioanalytical procedures, making them accessible to readers with a background in life sciences." –Microbiology Today, July 2009

“… a good overview of the basic strategies to tackle the complexity of analysis in biological environments and provides some illustrative examples for a better understanding of the theoretical concepts… provides a fundamental introduction to the tools adopted by life and health scientists in the evolving and exciting new age of “omics” specifically applied to the diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of disease…” –Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, October 2009

Although chemistry is core to the life and health sciences, it is often viewed as a challenging subject.

Conventional textbooks tend to present chemistry in a way that is not always easily accessible to students, particularly those coming from diverse educational backgrounds, who may not have formally studied chemistry before.

This prompted the authors to write this particular textbook, taking a new, fresh and innovative approach to teaching and learning of chemistry, focusing on bioanalysis to set knowledge in context. This textbook is primarily targeted to undergraduate life and health science students, but may be a useful resource for practising scientists in a range of disciplines.

In this textbook the authors have covered basic principles, terminology and core technologies, which include key modern experimental techniques and equipment used to analyse important biomolecules in diagnostic, industrial and research settings.

Written by two authors with a wealth of experience in teaching, research and academic enterprise, this textbook represents an invaluable tool for students and instructors across the diverse range of biological and health science courses.

Key Features:

• Innovative, stand alone teaching and learning resource to enhance delivery of undergraduate chemistry provision to life and health scientists.
• Develops student knowledge and understanding of core concepts with reference to relevant, real-life, examples.
• Clearly written and user-friendly, with numerous full colour illustrations, annotated images, diagrams and tables to enhance learning.
• Incorporates a modern approach to teaching and learning to motivate the reader and encourage student-centred learning.
• Dr Victor Gault has been named recipient of the Rising Star Award 2009 by the internationally acclaimed European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).

Leseprobe

Contents

Preface

1 Introduction to biomolecules

1.1 Overview of chemical and physical attributes of biomolecules

1.2 Classification of biomolecules

1.3 Features and characteristics of major biomolecules

1.4 Structure–function relationships

1.5 Significance of biomolecules in nature and science

2 Analysis and quantification of biomolecules

2.1 Importance of accurate determination of biomolecules

2.2 Major methods to detect and quantify biomolecules

2.3 Understanding mass, weight, volume and density

2.4 Understanding moles and molarity

2.5 Understanding solubility and dilutions

3 Transition metals in health and disease

3.1 Structure and characteristics of key transition metals

3.2 Importance of transition metals in physiological processes

3.3 Transition metals as mediators of disease processes

3.4 Therapeutic implications of transition metals

3.5 Determination of transition metals in nature

4 Ions, electrodes and biosensors

4.1 Impact of ions and oxidation–reduction reactions on physical and life processes

4.2 pH, biochemical buffers and physiological regulation

4.3 Chemical and physical sensors and biosensors

4.4 Important measurements using specific electrodes

4.5 Specific applications of biosensors in life and health sciences

5 Applications of spectroscopy

5.1 An introduction to spectroscopic techniques

5.2 Major types of spectroscopy

5.3 Principles and applications of ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry

5.4 Principles and applications of infrared spectroscopy

5.5 Principles and applications of fluorescence spectrofluorimetry

6 Centrifugation and separation

6.1 Importance of separation methods to isolate biomolecules

6.2 Basic principles underlying centrifugation

6.3 Features and components of major types of centrifuge

6.4 Major centrifugation methods for bioanalysis

6.5 Flow cytometry: principles and applications of this core method of separation

7 Chromatography of biomolecules

7.1 Chromatography: a key method for separation and identification of biomolecules

7.2 Principles, types and modes of chromatography

7.3 Applications of chromatography in life and health sciences

7.4 High-performance liquid chromatography and advanced separation technologies

7.5 Additional state-of-the-art chromatography techniques

8 Principles and applications of electrophoresis

8.1 Principles and theory of electrophoretic separation

8.2 Major types of electrophoresis

8.3 Electrophoresis in practice

8.4 Applications of electrophoresis in life and health sciences

8.5 Advanced electrophoretic separation methodologies for genomics and proteomics

9 Applications of mass spectrometry

9.1 Major types of mass spectrometry

9.2 Understanding the core principles of mass spectrometry

9.3 Major types of mass spectrometry in practice

9.4 Mass spectrometry: a key tool for bioanalysis in life and health sciences

9.5 Mass spectrometry: future perspectives

10 Immunochemical techniques and biological tracers

10.1 Antibodies: the keys to immunochemical measurements

10.2 Analytical applications of biological tracers

10.3 Principles and applications of radioimmunoassay (RIA)

10.4 Principles and applications of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

10.5 Immunohistochemistry: an important diagnostic tool

11 Bioanalysis by magnetic resonance technologies: NMR and MRI

11.1 Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies: key tools for the life and health sciences

11.2 Principles of NMR and the importance of this biomolecular analytical technique

11.3 Established and emerging applications of NMR

11.4 Principles and uses of MRI

11.5 MRI as a principal diagnostic and research tool

12 Bioanalytical approaches from diagnostic, research and pharmaceutical perspectives

12.1 Clinical genomics, proteomics and metabolomics

12.2 Clinical diagnosis and screening

12.3 Research and development

12.4 Emerging pharmaceutical products

12.5 Future perspectives

13 Self-Assessment

Appendix 1: International system of units (SI) and common prefixes

Appendix 2: The periodic table of the elements

Appendix 3: Common solvents and biological buffers

Appendix 4: Answers to self-assessment questions

Index

This edition first published 2009© 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Wiley-Blackwell is an imprint of John Wiley & Sons, formed by the merger of Wiley’s global Scientific, Technical and Medical business with Blackwell Publishing.

Registered office: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK

Other Editorial Offices:9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, USA

For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website atwww.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gault, Victor A.Understanding Bioanalytical Chemistry : principles and applications / Victor A. Gault and Neville H. McClenaghan.

p. ; cm.

Includes index.ISBN 978-0-470-02906-0 – ISBN 978-0-470-02907-71. Analytical biochemistry – Textbooks. I. McClenaghan, Neville H. II. Title.[DNLM: 1. Biochemistry. 2. Molecular Biology. QU 4 G271b 2009]QP519.7.G38 2009572′.36 – dc22

2008022162

ISBN: 978-0-470-02906-0 (HB)978-0-470-02907-7 (PB)

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

First Impression 2009

Preface

Telling first year life and health science students they have to study chemistry as part of their degree programme is often met with disillusionment or despair. To many the very word chemistry conjures up images of blackboards filled with mind-numbing facts and formulae, seemingly irrelevant to their chosen career paths. This textbook is our response to the very many students who plead with their tutors to ‘please teach us what we need to know’. Rather than the simplistic interpretation of this statement as an indirect way of asking tutors to ‘please tell us what’s on the exam paper’ we would see this as a more meaningful and reasonable request.

In recent years we have completely overhauled the way in which we teach bioanalytical chemistry. Taking a ‘back to the drawing board’ approach, we embraced the challenge of carefully considering the key aspects of chemistry every life and health scientist really needs to know. Our goal was to produce a stand-alone first year undergraduate module comprising a discrete series of lectures and practical classes, using relevant real-life examples to illustrate chemical principles and applications in action. This represented a radical departure from the former module in approach and content, and was extremely well received by students, with a marked improvement in student feedback and academic performance.

On reflection we are at a loss as to why it is tradition for life and health science students not to be introduced to the bioanalytical tools of their trade from the outset of their course. To us this is like teaching students the principles of computer science without actually introducing them to a computer and what it can do. With this in mind, we purposely chose to take an applied approach to chemistry, with an introduction to relevant methods and technologies up front, in order to familiarize students with these tools before they encounter and study them in more detail later in their courses.

Our message to students: To argue that life and health scientists don’t need chemistry is like arguing that the world is flat. That is, as much as you might be convinced that it is the case, it does not mean that you are correct. Whether we like it or not, the fact is chemistry lies at the heart of the vast majority of scientific disciplines. Given this, it is pretty much impossible to expect that you will really grasp the fundamentals of core disciplines such as physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology or be prepared for the diverse range of careers in the life and health sciences without at least a basic knowledge of core chemical principles and applications. This book is designed to complement delivery of first year chemistry, focusing on bioanalytical techniques and their real world applications.

Our message to tutors: We know, we’ve been there; despite all your best efforts, enthusing life and health science students to study (never mind enjoy) chemistry is like trying to encourage a physicist to build a time machine. The task has not been made any easier by the stereotypical stodginess of chemistry, the expansive nature of the subject, or the encyclopaedic nature of the average chemistry textbook. To compound the problem, few academics in life and health science departments either choose or wish to teach chemistry. Often considered the ‘poisoned chalice’ and the fate of many an unsuspecting fresh-faced newcomer, effective teaching and learning of first year chemistry represents a considerable challenge.

We hope that you will find this book a useful approach to the subject of bioanalytical chemistry and that it will help raise awareness of the vast scope and topics encompassed in what is a rapidly expanding and advancing field. Moreover, we hope that studying the content of this book will provide a fundamental introduction to the tools adopted by life and health scientists in the evolving and exciting new age of ‘omics’, with the promise of personalized medicine and novel approaches to the screening, diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of disease.

1

Introduction to biomolecules

Bioanalytical chemistry relies on the identification and characterization of particles and compounds, particularly those involved with life and health processes. Living matter comprises certain key elements, and in mammals the most abundant of these, representing around 97% of dry weight of humans, are: carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S). However, other elements such as sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and chlorine (Cl), although less abundant, nevertheless play a very significant role in organ function. In addition, miniscule amounts of so-called trace elements, including iron (Fe), play vital roles, regulating biochemical pathways and biological function. By definition, biomolecules are naturally occurring chemical compounds found in living organisms that are constructed from various combinations of key chemical elements. Not surprisingly there are fundamental similarities in the way organisms use such biomolecules to perform diverse tasks such as propagating the species and genetic information, and maintaining energy production and utilization. From this it is evident that much can be learned about the functionality of life processes in higher mammals through the study of micro-organisms and single cells. Indeed, the study of yeast and bacteria allowed genetic mapping before the Human Genome Project. This chapter provides an introduction to significant biomolecules of importance in the life and health sciences, covering their major properties and basic characteristics.

Learning Objectives

To be aware of important chemical and physical characteristics of biomolecules and their components.To recognize different classifications of biomolecules.To understand and be able to demonstrate knowledge of key features and characteristics of major biomolecules.To identify and relate structure–function relationships of biomolecules.To illustrate and exemplify the impact of biomolecules in nature and science.

1.1 Overview of chemical and physical attributes of biomolecules

Atoms and elements

Chemical elements are constructed from atoms, which are small particles or units that retain the chemical properties of that particular element. Atoms comprise a number of different sub-atomic particles, primarily electrons, protons and neutrons. The nucleus of an atom contains positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons, and a cloud of negatively charged electrons surrounds this region. Electrons are particularly interesting as they allow atoms to interact (in bonding), and elements to become ions (through loss or gain of electrons). Further topics in atomic theory relevant to bioanalysis will be discussed throughout this book, and an overview of is given below.