Temperature alternation by an on-chip microheater to reveal enzymatic activity of β-galactosidase at high temperatures

A method to measure enzymatic activity at high temperatures by rapid temperature alternation of a microreactor with a microheater is proposed. On-chip microreactor and microheater were integrated on a glass plate by MEMS technology; this microheater can control the temperature of the microreactor with a response speed of 34.2 and 31.5 K/s for temperature rise and fall, respectively, with an accuracy of 3 degrees C. The enzyme, beta-galactosidase, was revealed to survive short exposure (4-s pulses) to temperatures above that which would "normally" denature them. Its activity at 60 degrees C was revealed to be similar to 4 times greater than that at room temperature. This method not only gives new kinetic information in biochemistry but also enables application in highly sensitive biosensors.