ESA Biosciences has developed a system that enables routine measurement of sulphur-containing compounds

20-09-2007: ESA Biosciences has developed a stable, sensitive, and robust analytical system that enables routine measurement of thiols, thioethers, disulfides and other sulphur-containing compounds. Life-science researchers believe that sulphur-containing compounds are critical to a variety of biologically and clinically important processes - from oxidative metabolism, to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative-disease mechanisms, to signal transduction. According to ESA measuring sulphur-containing compounds has been extraordinarily difficult, until now.

The new ESA system incorporates a specially developed electrochemical cell with a unique Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) working electrode that provides excellent sensitivity and durability, while eliminating the problems (fouling, high background, mobile phase oxidation) associated with earlier ECD systems. According to ESA Vice President of Sales and Marketing, John Christensen, thiols, thioethers, and the like are not very stable, and effective analysis has always been very difficult to perform.