Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Yoshio Ishimori

Koji Hashimoto

Keiko Ito

Akihiro Kasahara

Kyuji Rokugawa

Naoyuki Hirate

Masanori Gotoh

Masako Hatoh

Masashi Awa

A biological material detection apparatus which detects a charged biological material such as a gene or protein contained in a sample liquid is disclosed. A biological material detection element includes a substrate, at least one first electrode formed on the substrate, and a plurality of second electrodes which are arrayed at predetermined intervals around the first electrode on the substrate along the circumferential direction and to which ligands that react with predetermined biological materials are respectively immobilized. A sample liquid is introduced toward the first electrode on the substrate. The introduced sample liquid is moved radially toward the second electrodes by electrical control.

Biological material detection element, biological material detection method and apparatus, charged material moving apparatus

A single stranded nucleic acid probe having a base sequence complementary to the gene to be detected is immobilized onto the surface of an electrode or the tip of an optical fiber, and the nucleic probe is reacted with the gene sample denatured to a single stranded form, and then the nucleic acid probe hybridized with the gene is detected. In this procedure, to the reaction system consisting of the nucleic acid probe and the gene sample, a double stranded nucleic acid recognizing substance capable of binding specifically to the double stranded nucleic acid and being active electrochemically or optically is added. The detection of the nucleic acid probe is conducted by electrochemical or optical determination utilizing the electrode or optical fiber mentioned above. By this method, safer and more convenient detection of the gene is possible at a higher sensitivity even in a reduced time period.

Gene detection method

A porous absorbent made of a filter, a filter material or a sponge material is inserted into a polluted part of soil or groundwater containing environmental pollutants such as chlorinated solvents or heavy metal ions. The porous absorbent is inserted into the polluted environment such that its one end comes into contact with the pollutants and the other end is exposed to air. The porous absorbent allows the pollutants absorbed thereby to rise up to its air-exposed end through the vaporizing activity of the pollutant themselves and of the water containing them. The pollutants are allowed to evaporate from the air-exposed end to be dissipated into the air, or to concentrate at the air-exposed end for later removal. Further, microorganisms fixed to the porous absorbent are used to decompose pollutants for removal, or to absorb pollutants for removal. Those pollutant eliminating methods allow efficient elimination of even highly concentrated pollutants at a low cost without requiring complicated processes. The method based on the use of microorganisms is further advantageous in that it is less stressful to the environment and biologically safer.

Method for eliminating environmental pollutants

There is disclosed, in an immunoassay employing an immunoassay reagent comprising liposomes comprised of at least any one of phospholipids and glycolipids, a marker material enclosed in said liposomes, and an antibody or part of the antibody, or an antigen, immobilized on said liposomes by a cross-linking method, the improvement wherein a material for preventing nonspecific lysis of the liposomes is made present together in a reaction mixture.

Quantitative immunoassay utilizing liposomes

A lipid represented by the following formula (I) can react with and immobilize a bioactive substance at functional group --Y--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --X:

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Tokyo, Japan

Yoshio Ishimori