title: Use of fluorescence to monitor the incorporation of horseradish peroxidase into a sol-gel derived medium.
abstract: The solvatochromic dye nile red has been employed to monitor the incorporation of an enzyme (horseradish peroxidase) into a sol-gel derived medium. The fluorescence spectrum of the dye, when incorporated into the enzyme, was analysed as the sum of Gaussian component spectra and relative changes between these component spectra were monitored upon encapsulation of the dye-enzyme system within the host matrix. Activity of the confined enzyme was verified and the effect of temperature was also investigated, through the examination of nile red fluorescence in the sol-gel derived matrix, where a stabilising effect was noted.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. graham@fisica.uminho.pt
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hungerford
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rei
authors.forename: M Isabel C
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010078:Oxazines / Q000378:metabolism*; D044367:Phase Transition; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010078:Oxazines; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; C044808:nile red