Chemiluminescence-based detection technologies for biomolecules, mainly in gel electrophoresis

We provide an overview of powerful applications of chemiluminescence (CL) analysis for biomolecules, mainly in gel electrophoresis. In routine immunciassays, CL labels and detection reactions are widely used for peroxidase and alkali ne-phosphatase enzymes. The sensitivity, the dynamic range and the diversity of CL assays have led to a vast range of applications, notably in protein and nucleic-acid blotting. Non-enzymatic CL detection is also being developed gradually. Direct CL detection of biomolecules in gels has emerged recently, with simple, convenient and rapid methods. It offers substantial potential to detect many proteins or nucleic acids in complex biological samples. In addition, metallic nanoparticles and catalytic nucleic acids are also potential candidates for CL detection of biomolecules in the future. Crown Copyright (c) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.