48 BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION April 1979 Voi. 7 No. 2

deficiency diseases and the assay of enzymes during clinical di~agnosis.

This book is well worth a quick read through by lecturers and others familiar with the areas covered. Most biochemistry students would benefit from reading the book, especially as enzyme biotechnology is not usually covered in courses in, for example, medical biochemistry. The book is highly recommended to students of home economics, food science, food technology, microbiology and related subjects, where there is a biochemical component to the course.

Alan Wiseman Depar tment of Biochemistry, University of Surrey Guildford Surrey, U.K.

Topics in Enzyme and Fermentation Bio- technology. Volume 2 E d i t e d by A l a n W i s e m a n . Pp . 308. P u b l i s h e d by Ell is

H o r w o o d L td . , C h i c h e s t e r a n d d i s t r i b u t e d by J o h n Wi ley

a n d Sons , C h i c h e s t e r a n d New York . 1978. £15 .00 .

Five of the six chapters of this new volume concern the importance of enzymes in technology. They are therefore very properly a subject of interest to all those engaged in biochemical education. Each subhect provides a challenge to the biochemist in terms of fundamenta l enzymology.

The chapter on the stabilization of enzymes by the editor of the series illustrates this point well. The technical significance of achieving additional stabilization of enzymes is considerable. It ranges from improved industrial enzyme-reactor operation to the better shelf life of laboratory enzyme reagents. However the fundamental reasons for enzyme stability are of just as much interest to the research biochemist and to the theoretician. At present the subject remains largely a collection of empirical observations. Nevertheless this review is most welcome.

A contribution on enzyme electrodes and enzyme based sensors again demonstrates the inseparable relationship between fundamental biochemistry and biochemical technology. To sense say amino acids an immobilized L-amino acid oxidase enzyme is coupled to an ammon i um specific electrode. Its degree of selectivity can be determined by the choice of enzyme. The enzyme-based glucose electrode is becoming an invaluable hospital tool coping with the ever increasing load and cost of blood glucose determina- tions. The review illustrates the considerable biochemical and chemical ingenuity now being applied to new assays by these approaches.

An article about enzymes immobilized on inorganic supports is more specialist in nature. The at tachment of enzymes to solid supports has permitted the development of major new industrial processes where the immobilized enzyme acts very much in the manner previously associated with reactors in the chemical industry. To date the supports used for immobilization in major industrial processes have been organic in nature despite great research investment by the Corning Company on glass and ceramic supports. The authors, themselves engaged in developing inorganic supports at Harwell, present their advantages and it is useful to have a view other than that of the Corning Group who have so totally dominated the literature.

The last article on enzymes shows them in quite a different light, as a potential nuisance. It surveys the important antibiotic- inactivating enzymes. From the early days of penicillin production these microbial enzymes have occupied scientists and with the recognition of their importance in drug resistance this interest must remain strong. Dr. Melling of the Microbiological Research Establishment deals with /3-1actamases and the chloramphenicol- and aminoglycoside-inactivating enzymes. He absolves the enzymes of being totally 'hostile' by noting their uses in, for example, screening new antibiotics and treating penicillin allergy.

The one .remaining chapter in this volume seems out of place. It concerns the biological t reatment of wastes and is a lengthy article of a kind suitable as a teaching text.

No one is more enthusiastic than the reviewer for showing the links between different sections of biochemical technology but these are not evident in this instance. Over many volumes of a book series perhaps it does not matter to library purchasers whether single volumes represent a coherent theme. However publishers annoyance with photocopying can receive little sympathy if they continue to ignore the individual purchaser of scientific books. Today he is too often forced to pay for articles in which his interest is very slight in order to obtain several of real interest.

To be fair the present volume has a great deal to interest the biochemist and perhaps his dipping into the microbiology and technology of waste t reatment will bring forth unexpected advantages. At a time when biochemistry students are perhaps particularly under pressure to show awareness of the direct uses of their discipline to the community this is certainly a book that can be recommended for biochemistry libraries.

P. Dunnill Depar tment of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering University College London Torrington Place, London WCIE 7JE

Ion Chromatographic Analysis of Environmental Pollutants Edi t ed by E u g e n e Sawicki , J. D. M u l i k a n d E. W i t t g e n -

s te in . Pp 210. P u b l i s h e d by A n n A r b o r Science P u b l i s h e r s

Inc . , A n n Arbo r , M i c h i g a n , U S A (1978) a n d d i s t r i b u t e d

by John Wi ley a n d Sons , C h i c h e s t e r a n d New York . £17 .45

The use of chromatographic analysis for the quantitative analysis of mixtures is limited firstly by the ability to separate the components, and secondly by the methods available to detect and to quantify them. This book introduces a development of ion exchange chromatography which permits the use of a non-specific detection system, electrical conductance, for the analysis of a wide range of anions and cations within the same sample, thus greatly extending the usefulness of ion exchange chromatography.

In the preface the authors suggest that the book should be seen only as the beginning of the application of 'Ion Chromatography' to environmental problems. Certainly it is a beguiling technique with its potential sensitivity and freedom from interference. The ability to analyse chloride, sulphate, sulphite and phosphate in a single sample is most attractive.

Chapter one is speculative - - suggesting a whole range of possible applications. The second chapter, written by one of the originators of this elegant procedure gives a very lucid account of the principles involved. In the limited space available the author establishes the potential of the technique whilst at the same time drawing attention to its limitations.

The chapters that follow present a series of applications concerned mainly with the measurement of atmospheric pollution. For the dedicated reader there is useful information to be gleaned here: for most of us stronger editing would have been useful. Some of the chapters at tempt a reasoned critique of the method, parti- cularly that which describes the analysis of airborne particulate matter. Here it is shown that at present the variability of 'Ion Chromatography' may be greater than for more conventional methods of analysis. In other examples there is no evidence that the technique, per se. has real advantages over existing techniques.

Perhaps a book for the committed. In the absence of a satisfactory chapter giving a critical discussion of the results obtained in the described procedures, the reader will need to make a considerable effort to determine on the basis of this book whether 'Ion Chromatography' represents a justifiable investment.

Gordon Jones Water Research Centre Stevenage, Herts, U.K.