162 PATENT ABSTRACTS

low energy usage and ready preparation in space of acetic acid and the enzyme makes the present invention well suited for use on long duration space missions.

5196111

R E A C T O R F O R T H E B I O L O G I C A L T R E A T M E N T O F

S E W A G E

Roger Nicol, Vincen Savall, Issy les Moulineaux, France assigned to Degremont

Improved reactor for the biological treatment of sewage, intended to replace the aeration tank in plants comprising an anaerobic tank in which denitrification takes place, an anaeration tank where the nitrification of the effluents by aerobic bacteria is carded out and a final clarifier, which comprises a single tank having three separate zones which are, in the order in which the liquid to be treated passes through them successively: an aeration operating with plug flow; an anaerobic zone; and a completely mixed zone comprising means permitting it to operate under adjustable aeration conditions.

An apparatus for conducting a highly sensitive assay is provided wherein the level of a specific material is detected using a reaction which pro- duces a detectable substance such as a colored dye or a fluorescent material in proportion to the concentration of the material being detected and which is carded out on an absorbent detecting layer comprising a superabsorbent polymeric material. The use of the superabsorbent poly- meric materials greatly increases the sensitivity of the assay in a manner not achieved in the prior art because these polymeric materials are an ex- cellent medium for the detection of the color changes caused by the reactants in the assays. These superabsorbent polymers offer increased sensitivity of up to about ten times greater than that which was possible using conventional backing materials as the absorbent layer in assays. The present invention comprises a quick, inexpensive, and accurate means for testing materials such as alcohol with a sensitivity that approaches 0.001% (w/v). A method of con- ducting colorimetric or other assays in ac- cordance with the present invention is also provided. The present invention is especially use- ful in performing enzymatic assays.

5196121

D E C O M P O S I T I O N O F H A L O G E N A T E D A L I P H A T I C

H Y D R O C A R B O N S I N A B I O R E A C T O R

Alan T Moore, Maureen C Leahy, M Margaret Findlay, Sam Fogel, Issy les Moulineaux, as- signed to ABB Environmental Services Inc

Methanotropics are grown in a bioreactor con- taining a solid support. They decompose halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons found in ground water. The growth of the bacteria and the methane concentrations in the biomass reac- tor are controlled to significantly enhance the degradation of the hydrocarbons.

5196302

E N Z Y M A T I C A S S A Y S U S I N G S U P E R A B S O R B E N T M A T E R I A L S

David Kidwell assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Sectetary of the Navy

5196306

M E T H O D F O R T H E D E T E C T I O N O R Q U A N T I T A T I O N O F A N

A N A L Y T E U S I N G A N A N A L Y T E D E P E N D E N T E N Z Y M E A C T I V A T I O N S Y S T E M

Mark N Bobrow, Gerald J Litt assigned to E I Du Pont de Nemours and Company

The present invention concerns a method to catalyze reporter deposition to improve detec- tion or quantitation of an analyte in a sample by amplifying the detector signal which comprises reacting an analyte dependent enzyme activation system with a conjugate consisting of a detec- tably labeled substrate specific for the enzyme system, said conjugate reacts with the analyte dependent enzyme activation system to form an activated conjugate which deposits substantially wherever receptor for the activated conjugate is immobilized, said receptor not being reactive with the analyte dependent enzyme activation system. In another embodiment the invention concerns an assay for detecting or quantitating the presence or absence of an analyte in a sample using catalyzed reporter deposition to amplify the reporter signal.