Enzymatic substrate analysis is an attractive means of analysis in clinical chemistry because of its sensitivity and specificity. The GeMSAEC Fast Analyzer, in conjunction with a small computer, provides a means of performing routine enzymatic substrate analysis and offers the following advantages: (a) selectivity of approaches to enzymatic analysis, i.e., end-point or kinetic; (b) essentially parallel analyses of multiple samples, yielding a unique method for performing kinetic fixed-time analysis; (c) on-line data reduction, resulting in rapid calculation and output of results and the minimization of data handling errors; and (d) a small reagent volume per test (400 µl), which reduces the cost of analysis. The analysis of substrate with enzymatic end-point and kinetic procedures is examined by use of a computer-interfaced Fast Analyzer. Computer programs were written to facilitate this study. Glucose (hexokinase/GPD), urea (urease/GMD), and uric acid (uricase) have been used as examples in evaluating both end-point and kinetic analyses. The advantages and limitations of each type of analysis are presented, with the emphasis being placed on enzymatic substrate analysis and means by which the computer-interfaced Fast Analyzer can facilitate both end-point and kinetic analyses.

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Several different strains of fungi have been shown to solubilize some types of low-ranked coal, apparently by an extracellular process. Oxidative pretreatment enhances the microbial action, allowing the use of a variety of coal feedstocks. The resulting product, which is primarily a mixture of polar organic compounds with moderate to high molecular weights and a high degree of aromaticity, is water-soluble. Possible processing concepts include the use of continuous bioreactors configured as either fixed or fluidized beds.

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A bioreactor configuration is proposed for simultaneous fermentation and separation of the desired product. The bioreactor consists of a columnar fluidized bed of immobilized microorganisms. Denser adsorbent particles are added to this column. These adsorbent particles fall through the bed, absorb the product, and are removed from the base of the columnar reactor. The system hydrodynamics and the separability of the two types of particles were confirmed for low-density gel beads. The addition of the adsorbent, activated carbon, to a fermentation of Lactobacillus delbreuckii absorbed lactic acid. The addition of adsorbent enhanced the fermentation and controlled the pH.

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Design features and operation of a prototype miniaturized Fast Analyzer are described, and some results obtained with it are presented. The Analyzer occupies only one cubic foot of space. It has a 17-cuvet plastic rotor that rotates through a stationary optical system at speeds up to 5000 rpm. The resulting centrifugal force is utilized to transfer and mix a series of sample(s) and reagent(s) into the cuvets. The ensuing reactions are monitored spectrophotometrically, and the data evaluated in real time by an on-line computer. Samples (1 to 10 µl) and reagents (70 to 110 µl) are loaded into the rotor either discretely or dynamically; various rotor configurations can be used to do this. Many of the standard clinical analyses, including most of the NADH-linked enzymatic analyses, have been adapted for use with this analyzer. Precision obtained ranges from 1 to 4%. This report considers, specifically, analyses of some serum enzymes. Results show that the small analyzer possesses the previously demonstrated advantages of Fast Analyzers and, in addition, has several beneficial features arising from miniaturization.