Estimation of the reaction efficiency in polymerase chain reaction

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is largely used in molecular biology for increasing the copy number of a specific DNA fragment. The succession of 20 replication cycles makes it possible to multiply the quantity of the fragment of interest by a factor of 1 million. The PCR technique has revolutionized genomics research. Several quantification methodologies are available to determine the DNA replication efficiency of the reaction which is the probability of replication of a DNA molecule at a replication cycle. We elaborate a quantification procedure based on the exponential phase and the early saturation phase of PCR. The reaction efficiency is supposed to be constant in the exponential phase, and decreasing in the saturation phase. We propose to model the PCR amplification process by a branching process which starts as a Galton-Watson branching process followed by a size-dependent process. Using this stochastic modelling and the conditional least-squares estimation method, we infer the reaction efficiency from a single PCR trajectory.     

Rapid biocatalytic polytransesterification: reaction kinetics in an exothermic reaction

Biocatalytic polytransesterification at high concentrations of monomers proceeds rapidly and is accompanied by an increase in the temperature of the reaction mixture due to liberation of heat of reaction during the initial phase. We have used principles of reaction calorimetry to monitor the kinetics of polymerization during this initial phase, thus relating the temperature to the extent of polymerization. Rate of polymerization increases with the concentration of monomers. This is also reflected by the increase in the temperature of the reaction mixture. Using time-temperature-conversion contours, a differential method of kinetic analysis was used to calculate the energy of activation ( approximately 15.1 Kcal/mol). Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Haemolytic reaction in gels

Описан метод детекции антител против эритроцитов (с применением гемолитической пробы в геле). Было установлено, что гель, приготовленный из агар-агара, даже в очищенном виде оказывает антикомплементарное действие и мешает таким образом обнаружить гемолитические антитела. Гемолитическую реакцию в геле можно ставить и с применением агарозы. В этой среде антитела обнаруживаются на основании прямого или пассивного гемолиза. Антитела прибавлялись к агарозе или образовались клетками, которые инкубировались в зтой среде.—Обсуждаются другие подробности условий постановки гемолитической реакции.     

Organocatalytic aza-Michael/retro-aza-Michael reaction: pronounced chirality amplification in aza-Michael reaction and racemization via retro-aza-Michael reaction

A detailed experimental investigation of an aza-Michael reaction of aniline and chalcone is presented. A series of Cinchona alkaloid-derived organocatalysts with different functional groups were prepared and used in the aza-Michael and retro-aza-Michael reaction. There was an interesting finding that a complete reversal of stereoselectivity when a benzoyl group was introduced to the cinchonine and cinchonidine. The chirality amplification vs. time proceeds in the quinine-derived organocatalyst containing silicon-based bulky group, QN-TBS, -catalyzed aza-Michael reaction under solvent-free conditions. In addition, we have demonstrated for the first time that racemization was occurred in suitable solvents under mild conditions due to retro-aza-Michael reaction of the Michael adduct of aniline with chalcone. These indicate the equilibrium of retro-aza-Michael reaction and aza-Michael reaction produce the happening of chirality amplification in aza-Michael reaction and racemization via retro-aza-Michael reaction under different conditions, which would be beneficial to the development of novel chiral catalysts for the aza-Michael reactions.