Table 1 Comparative advantages and disadvantages of H vs. C tracers for xenoNER identification
Isotope | 13C | 14C | D | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stable | Radioactive | Stable | Radioactive | |
Applicability | All C-compounds | Compounds with stable C–H bonds | ||
Availability of compounds | Depending on market trends | Wide (internal standards) | Limited | |
Access to instrumentation | Limited (IRMS) | Wide (LSC) | Limited (IRMS) | Wide (LSC) |
Laboratory workload | High (multiple controls, isotope analytics, NER identification) | Medium (NER identification) | Medium (multiple controls, isotope analytics, no bioNER analytics) | Low (once optimized, no bioNER analytics) |
Initial substrate concentration | High (natural 13C abundance) | Low (radioactivity) | High (natural D abundance) | Low (radioactivity) |
Tracer quantitation | Time-consuming | Easy | Time-consuming | Potentially easy (T: weaker β-emitter than 14C) |
BioNER analytics | Biomolecule extraction & purification | Not relevant: minimal D or T retention in biomolecules | ||
