Patent ID: 6221612
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: C12Q,G01N,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of identifying a chemical with a biological activity, comprising:a) contacting a sample with a test chemical, said sample comprising a target,b) contacting said sample with at least one photon reducing agent, wherein said sample comprises a membrane compartment in contact with a solid surface, wherein said membrane compartment includes at least one photon producing agent that directly or indirectly monitors the activity of said target and said at least one photon reducing agent is in an aqueous solution that contacts the outer surface of said membrane compartment, and wherein said at least one photon reducing agent has an absorption spectra that overlaps with the absorption, emission or excitation spectrum of said at least one photon producing agent or wherein said at least one photon producing agent exhibits fluorescence resonance energy transfer with said at least one photon reducing agent,wherein said at least one photon reducing agent is substantially impermeant to said membrane compartment,wherein said at least one photon reducing agent does not specifically bind to said membrane compartment, andwherein said at least one photon reducing agent is present in said aqueous solution at a concentration sufficient to reduce light emitted from said aqueous solution by at least 10% compared to the light emitted of said aqueous solution in the absence of said at least one photon reducing agent,c) detecting an optical signal from said at least one photon producing agent,d) comparing the optical signal from said at least one photon producing agent to a background or control optical signal from a control sample.