Reagents Lab
Eustacio Gadit
In chemistry, a reagent (/riˈeɪdʒənt/ ree-AY-jənt) or analytical reagent is a substance or compound added to a system to cause a chemical reaction, or test if one occurs.[1] The terms reactant and reagent are often used interchangeably, but reactant specifies a substance consumed in the course of a chemical reaction.[1] Solvents, though involved in the reaction mechanism, are usually not called reactants. Similarly, catalysts are not consumed by the reaction, so they are not reactants. In biochemistry, especially in connection with enzyme-catalyzed reactions, the reactants are commonly called substrates.
In organic chemistry, the term "reagent" denotes a chemical ingredient (a compound or mixture, typically of inorganic or small organic molecules) introduced to cause the desired transformation of an organic substance. Examples include the Collins reagent, Fenton's reagent, and Grignard reagents.
In analytical chemistry, a reagent is a compound or mixture used to detect the presence or absence of another substance, e.g. by a color change, or to measure the concentration of a substance, e.g. by colorimetry. Examples include Fehling's reagent, Millon's reagent, and Tollens' reagent.
In commercial or laboratory preparations, reagent-grade designates chemical substances meeting standards of purity that ensure the scientific precision and reliability of chemical analysis, chemical reactions or physical testing. Purity standards for reagents are set by organizations such as ASTM International or the American Chemical Society. For instance, reagent-quality water must have very low levels of impurities such as sodium and chloride ions, silica, and bacteria, as well as a very high electrical resistivity. Laboratory products which are less pure, but still useful and economical for undemanding work, may be designated as technical, practical, or crude grade to distinguish them from reagent versions.
In the field of biology, the biotechnology revolution in the 1980s grew from the development of reagents that could be used to identify and manipulate the chemical matter in and on cells.[2][3] These reagents included antibodies (polyclonal and monoclonal), oligomers, all sorts of model organisms and immortalised cell lines, reagents and methods for molecular cloning and DNA replication, and many others.[3][4]
However, many natural substances are hits in almost any assay in which they are tested, and therefore not useful as tool compounds. Medicinal chemists class them instead as pan-assay interference compounds. One example is curcumin.[7][8][9]
A reagent is an integral part of any chemical reaction. A reagent is a substance or compound that can facilitate a reaction, and they are used in most widely used tests. This includes, for example, pregnancy tests, blood glucose tests, and most COVID-19 test kits.
Reagents trigger chemical reactions. This term encompasses organic substances that trigger naturally occurring chains of reactions in the body but also include inorganic substances that can be used in artificially triggered reactions. Reagents are commonly used to test for the presence of certain substances, as the binding of reagents to the substance or other related substances triggers certain reactions.
Regents can also be limiting. Limiting reagents stop a chemical reaction when they are used up. The chemical reaction relies on the reagent to continue the reaction and stops when there is no more substance. The limiting reagents, therefore, dictate when a certain chemical reaction does not continue.
Reagents, such as the ones mentioned above, are commonly used in laboratory or field settings to detect the presence of a range of substances. For example, one of the widespread uses of reagents in everyday life is to test for illegal drugs. While most kits, such as those used to test for common drugs, are easy to use and involve noticing whether there is a color change, other kits are more complicated and require laboratory equipment, such as chromatography.
Mandelin reagent kits are commonly used to test for alkaloids. This means the kit can turn dark green if the drug amphetamine is present, and cocaine causes the color to become deep orange. Similarly, Marquis reagent kits can detect the drug LSD by turning olive black when the drug is present in a solution. Marquis reagent kits can also test for methamphetamine and a range of other drugs.
In antibody testing, the compound being detected in the reagent testing kit is the antibody to the COVID-19 virus. In these cases, the blood of the patient is tested with enzymes as the reagents. The test reagents bind antibodies, such as IgG and IgM, and if they are present a line will indicate this on the testing kit. These tests are quick to carry out and can indicate the previous infection of the virus.
PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, tests whether the genetic material of the COVID-19 virus is present in the blood. Using real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), the reagents used are enzymes to detect the specific genetic material, which is highly unique to the virus. This is a more complicated form of the reagent test kit, as it requires chromatography techniques.
However, as with other forms of reagents, the ones used for testing of COVID-19 are limited and prone to issues in production and trade. In a pandemic setting, especially, this has become an issue, as previously laboratories and producers operated at a much lower capacity compared to the current need and a shortage of reagents has not been encountered before on the same scale. There are different reagents used to extract the virus or viral materials, others to amplify this, and then other reagents to test for their presence.
Sara is a passionate life sciences writer who specializes in zoology and ornithology. She is currently completing a Ph.D. at Deakin University in Australia which focuses on how the beaks of birds change with global warming.
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Find the exact reagents you need to prepare and process any type of tissue. Select your preferred decalcifier, fixative, and other reagents to help you take the tissue through all of preanalytical workflow stages.
As one of the world's leading centres focused on cell signalling pathways we are happy to provide access to the very same reagents and services used by MRC PPU investigators to accelerate research worldwide.
From traditional ELISA to customizable ELISPOT to sophisticated multiplex bead-based immunoassays, the BD Biosciences immunoassay portfolio provides a variety of options based on your need. Use the broad dynamic range of fluorescence detection offered by the BD Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) to analyze up to 30 analytes in a single sample by flow cytometry analysis.
Explore our suite of products for blood lysis and cell preparation reagents. From the solutions needed to lyse, stain, fix and permeabilize cells to magnetic separation reagents to enrich rare cell populations prior to FACS and other downstream applications, BD Biosciences has everything you need to analyze your samples with confidence and ease.
Find the most suitable reagents to visualize key cellular events using a variety of techniques. From immunohistochemistry-, imaging- and western blotting-based methods to flow cytometry-based assays, BD Biosciences offers a complete suite of products for cell function analysis.
BD Biosciences offers a variety of specificities for a wide range of cell surface and intracellular markers for microscopy applications. Both fluorescently labeled, biotinylated and purified options are available for imaging purposes. BD Biosciences fluorescent dyes for imaging applications build on our experience in fluorescent imaging and leverage our innovative polymer dyes. The exceptional brightness of our fluorophores enables high sensitivity and the unique spectra allow for easier multiplexing.
Diagnostic reagents are produced by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) as needed for veterinary diagnostic use when a commercial source of reagent is not available or when commercial sources are not fulfilling diagnostic needs. Proficiency testing is offered for diagnostics associated with USDA program diseases, as well as other diseases requiring APHIS laboratory approval, and quality control purposes.
The Protein Capture Reagents program has transitioned from Common Fund support. Common Fund programs are strategic investments that achieve a set of high-impact goals within a 5-10 year timeframe. At the conclusion of each program, deliverables will transition to other sources of support or use within the scientific community.
Please note that since the Protein Capture Reagents program is no longer supported by the Common Fund, the program website is being maintained as an archive and will not be updated on a regular basis.
The program generated an array of monoclonal antibodies to transcription factor targets in addition to a host of recombinant antibodies. The Common Fund has provided funding to experts in the field of transcription factors to validate the usefulness of these antibodies. Using a variety of different methods, ranging from chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to microscopy studies, approximately 40 antibodies have already been identified as highly effective tools for biological studies. As more validation studies are completed, it is anticipated this number will increase. These antibodies are publicly available for purchase and can be located through the PCRP Data Portal. A 2016 commentary paper published in Nature Methods outlines the accomplishments of the program.
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