Patent ID: 6225127
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method of testing a sample for the presence of an anion comprising the steps of:reacting a metallo-enzyme attached to a photoluminescent donor label with said sample, said metallo-enzyme being able to reversibly bind said anion, resulting in a metallo-enzyme-anion complex, to quench the photoluminescence,altering the degree of quenching of said photoluminescent donor label in a proximity-dependent quenching process by binding of said anion,measuring the degree of said quenching by determining the change in intensity or lifetime of photoluminescent emission,relating the degree of quenching to the fraction of said metallo-enzyme with bound anion, and to the binding affinity of said metallo-enzyme, thereby determining the presence of said anion wherein the proximity between said donor label and said anion is r.ltoreq.0.75R.sub.0, wherein R.sub.0 is the Forster distance where energy transfer is fifty percent efficient.