Abstract: The invention relates to a method of providing a solid substrate for immobilizing chemical compounds particular biomolecules. The method comprises the steps of providing a basis substrate, and treating the surface of the basis substrate with a monomer gas in a plasma generated by a power source selected from the group consisting of multiple phase AC supply and multiple DC supply, wherein the intensity of said plasma being at the most 5.0 W/I, such as at the most 3.0 W/I, and said monomer gas comprising one or more types of monomers which is plasma polymerized onto the surface to thereby provide the surface of the solid substrate with chemically reactive groups. The invention also relates to a substrate obtainable by the method, and a process for immobilizing a chemical compound to a surface of such solid substrate. The method is relatively simple and economically feasibly, and the substrate has a high quality and a high concentration of functionalities.

Abstract: A UDP-galactose epimerase enzyme is described. In addition, there is described a nucleotide sequence coding for the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for identifying or selecting from a population of eukaryotic cells cultivated on or in a medium containing at least one compound, cells which have a metabolic advantage as a result of having being transformed, wherein:i) the cells are transformed with a nucleotide sequence or a co-introduced nucleotide sequence one of which comprises a region which: (a) encodes a protein which is involved in the metabolism of the compound, and/or (b) regulates the activity of the protein; andii) the compound is mannose or xylose or a derivative or a precursor of these, or a substrate of the protein, or is capable of being metabolized by the transformed cells into such a substrate, with the proviso that the compound is not mannose when the protein is mannose 6 phosphate isomerase.