Patent ID: 7718445

Claim:
A method for detecting a chemical reaction of a reactant, said method comprising: (a) contacting said reactant with a solid composite, said composite comprising a material susceptible to microwave heating and a specific binding molecule for the reactant, said contacting being conducted under conditions sufficient to allow said reactant to bind to said specific binding molecule of said composite via a biospecific interaction, wherein said specific binding molecule is thermally proximal to said solid material to thereby provide the reactant thermally proximal to the solid material upon binding; (b) applying an electromagnetic field of a wavelength of between 1 cm and 100 m to said composite, resulting in microwave heating of said solid material, wherein said heated solid material heats said thermally proximal reactant, wherein said chemical reaction is accelerated by said heating of said reactant; and (c) detecting a physical or chemical property associated with said chemical reaction.