The NECi Nitrate Newsletter

Volume 1   Number 1   Fall 1999

The Nitrate Elimination Co., Inc. (NECi)

Using enzyme-based Nitrate Test Kits (NTK), NECi has revolutionized Nitrate detection. NECi NTK contain no heavy metals or other hazardous chemicals. NTK are environmentally and user friendly, extremely accurate, and require no special equipment (like gloves or face masks) for safe handling procedures.

NECi grows corn seedlings to produce NaR (Nitrate Reductase, an enzyme) in their laboratory in Lake Linden, Michigan. NaR is made using standard biochemical extraction and purification methods. NECi scientists process the NaR for use in Nitrate detection and remediation products. 

NECi produces, extracts, and purifies NaR as follows:

Corn seeds are planted in Vermiculite® to germinate and grown for eight days in a carefully monitored and controlled environment. Vermiculite® has ideal moisture and nutrient retention characteristics for growing NaR-rich corn in the carefully monitored and controlled environment to obtain maximum yield of enzyme from the corn seedlings.  After the seedlings are ready, the corn leaves are harvested and stored in a freezer.

To begin the NaR extraction process, the leaves are blended with a buffered solution containing additives to protect the enzyme during disruption of the leaves. Corn leaf extract is filtered to remove the large leaf fragments and other debris, and centrifuged to separate small particulates from the corn leaf extract.

After centrifuging, a Sepharose® gel with chemically-bound NECi proprietary monoclonal antibody specific for corn leaf NaR is added to the pure corn leaf extract, and the solution mixed for 1 hour in a refrigerated cooler. The gel binds NaR and allows the enzyme to be separated from the other proteins in the corn leaf extract.  Mixing makes binding more rapid and efficient.

After NaR binding is complete, vacuum filtration is used to separate the gel with bound enzyme from the corn leaf extract.  Next, the enzyme is eluted from the gel. During elution, purified NaR is visible as a reddish band descending the column.  After elution, NaR activity is measured and the purified NaR stored at -80°C.

NECi uses purified NaR enzyme to produce a wide variety of environmentally-friendly Nitrate Test Kits (NTK).