CHAPTER 12: Supramolecular Enzyme Assays

The development of enzyme assays for the detection of enzymatic activity is of prime interest in academic and industrial research, for example, in enzyme engineering and drug discovery. Therein, each application has different specifications for an ideal enzyme assay. Recent developments include enzyme assays exploiting principles and achievements from the field of supramolecular chemistry. This affords label-free, continuously monitored, fluorescence-based assays, which are well suited for high-throughput screening applications. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of supramolecular approaches towards enzyme assays, including methods based on specifically designed chemoreceptors, on membrane transport systems and on macrocyclic receptors such as cyclodextrins, calixarenes and cucurbiturils. Focus is given to the particular applications and the challenges during development of enzyme assays.