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Buffer system

Definition

The pH-controlling salt mixture in a spray reagent. The buffer in Bluestar is designed to maintain an alkaline pH for the luminol reaction while minimising acid hydrolysis and oxidative attack on the DNA phosphodiester backbone.

Related terms

Bluestar
A proprietary reformulation of luminol (brand name: Bluestar Forensic) that uses a modified buffer and reagent concentration to produce chemiluminescent detection of...
Chromogenic pad
The reactive zone on a Hemastix strip impregnated with a reduced chromogen (tetramethylbenzidine in some formulations) and a peroxide source. Contact with...
Dipstick test
A format in which reagents are embedded in pads on a solid strip. The strip is briefly dipped into or pressed against...
Haematuria
The clinical term for blood in urine. Hemastix was developed as a urinalysis tool to detect haematuria and was later adopted by...
Hemastix
A commercial peroxidase test strip (Siemens/Bayer) containing a chromogenic pad that turns blue-green on contact with haemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide. Originally designed...

Explained in

  • Bluestar and HemastixThe pH-controlling salt mixture in a spray reagent. The buffer in Bluestar is designed to maintain an alkaline pH for the luminol reaction while minimising aci...

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