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Amino-acids on Hands

Abstract

RECENT methods for the determination of amino-acids by ion-exchange chromatography at the 10−8 and 10−9 mole levels1,2 are now able to give a quantitative measure of observations that have hitherto been of a qualitative nature3,4. For example, it is well known that finger-marks on paper chromatography are to be avoided because they are deeply coloured on treatment with ninhydrin reagent. It is probably less well appreciated that amino-acids might be introduced, some considerably in excess of the 10−8 mole level, at any or all steps of preparative manipulation prior to chromatography, and these contaminants would then be unwittingly measured along with the material of analytical interest.

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References

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HAMILTON, P. Amino-acids on Hands. Nature 205, 284–285 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/205284b0

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