Phenylalanine Assay

Phenylalanine is one of the essential amino acids that we are unable to synthesize. Beyond its obvious significance as an important building block for protein synthesis, phenylalanine is also a precursor dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine as well as a precursor for tyrosine which itself is a precursor to thyroid hormones. PKU is a genetic disorder characterized by the inability to degrade phenylalanine resulting in its accumulation causing neurological and cognitive impairment, at least partly due to competing for tryptophan transport channels resulting in decreased serotonin. AkrivisBio’s Phenylalanine Assay is a simple, sensitive means of measuring phenylalanine in a variety of biological samples with a sensitivity in the mid to low picomole range.