Determination of heat changes in the proximity of immobilised enzymes with an enzyme thermistor and its use for the assay of metabolites

A device, the enzyme thermistor, is described which is capable of measuring changes in heat due to enzymic reactions. The sensor, a thermistor, is in direct contact with the site of reaction through its placement in a microcolumn filled with an immobilised enzyme preparation. The substrate solution flows past the thermistor tip, and as much as approx. one half of the total heat evolved can be registered as temperature change, deltat. Glass-bound glucose oxidase (EC 1.1.3.4), penicillinase (EC 3.5.2.6), trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) and urease (EC 3.5.1.5) were used for the determination of glucose, penicillin G, benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester and urea respectively. Linear relationships between the deltat recorded and the concentration of substrate were obtained in all cases.