Thermochemical methods using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) or Thermal Activity Monitoring (TAM) using power compensated or passive heat conduction measurements respectively, yield data where the primary observable is heat production; this in turn may be converted directly to the rate of reaction [2]. This means thermochemical measurements performed on such complex substrates as a variety of biomass types as well as model substrates monitor real time hydrolysis.
The current poster is a summary of the systematic benchmarking to use thermochemical screening for cellulolytic enzymes. We outline the possibilities for future use as well as some advantages and disadvantages of the investigated methods.
1 Ghose, T. K. (1987). "Measurement of cellulase activities." Pure and Applied Chemistry 59(2): 257-268.
2 Todd, M. J. and J. Gomez (2001). "Enzyme kinetics determined using calorimetry: A general assay for enzyme activity?" Analytical Biochemistry 296(2): 179-187.