Books
Immunoassay primer
Environmental Immunochemical Analysis for Detection of Pesticides and Other Chemicals: A User's Guide Shirley J. Gee, Bruce D. Hammock, and Jeanette M. Van Emon Noyes Publications 369 Fairview Ave. Westwood, NJ 07675 1997, 107 pp., $40
The tight focus of this book, as embodied in the title, is both its strength and its weakness. The strength is that it provides clear, comprehensive, detailed descriptions of immunoassay procedures for analytical chemists unfamiliar with the technique. The authors are analytical chemists, and they approach the subject from that perspective, rather than from the usual clinical viewpoint of immunoassay books. The immunoassay procedures comprise the largest portion of the book and six ELISA procedures are given for the classes triazines triazine mercapturates carbaryl paraquat and 6-nitrophenols. The procedures are much more detailed than those usually found in the literature including materials lists and catalog numbers of suppliers Of particular value are tutorial sections on mundane but vital subjects such as data analysis calibration troubleshooting assessment of matrix effects and maintenance of Qfi-well plate readers
The weakness is that the focus is somewhat too narrow. The introduction is too brief for those unschooled in the field,
and I believe that the novice practitioner should know what an antibody molecule is (a protein molecule), whence it came, and how it should be handled. For instance, the uninitiated will mix dilutions of antibody stocks by vigorously shaking them, which denatures the (rather expensive) antibody reagent. Similarly, many antibodies are available, not in purified form, but in the form of ascites or serum; thus it would be useful to give one of the simple procedures for isolating antibodies. Indeed the source for many of the antibodies used in the procedures was one of the authors; what antibodies are available for analytes of environmental interest and from which vendors? It seems likely that
Ofparticular value are tutorial lections on data analysis, calibration, and troubleshooting.
BOOKS RECEIVED Mass Spectrometry: Principles and Applications E. De Hoffman, J. Charette, and V. Stroobant John Wiley & Sons 605 Third Ave. New York, NY 10158 1996, 340 pp., $54.95
This book is a translation of a 1994 French edition. Topics include ion sources, mass analyzers, GC/MS, LC/MS, MS/MS, fragmentation, and biomolecule analysis. Single-Molecule Optical Detection, Imaging, and Spectroscopy T. Basché, W. E. Moerner, M. Orrit, and U. P. Wild, Eds. VCH Postfach 10 11 61 D-69451 Weinheim Federal Republic of Germany 1997, 250 pp.. DM 198
The chapters in this book cover low-temperature studies in solids, near-field optical imaging and spectroscopy of single molecules, and single-molecule detection.
many potential readers will be interested in assay development, for which purified antibodies or kits may not be available. Practical HPLC Method The publishers have made some unforDevelopment, 2nd ed. tunate choices. Although the binding is Lloyd R. Snyder, Joseph J. Kirkland, and handsome, a comb- or spiral-bound volume Joseph L. Glajch would have been more practical for the John Wiley & Sons laboratory bench. The reproduction from 605 Third Ave. camera-ready copy is barely adequate and New York, NY 10158 muddies the figures. Happily, the book is 1997, 765 pp., $84.95 reasonably priced; and these quibbles notwithstanding, the authors havefilledan The 15 chapters in this book includd eetecimportant niche. Any analytical or environ- tion, sample preparation, ionic and non-iooic mental chemist considering immunoassay samples, modes of chromatography, gradient would be well advised to acquire a copy. elution, method development, biochemical samples, chiral separations, preparattve LC, Reviewed by Richard B. Thompson, Uniquantitation, and method validation. versity oo Maryland at Baltimore Analytical Chemistry News & Features, August 1, 1997 4 8 5 A
