Application of computer algebra techniques to enzyme kinetics Mustafa Bayram Atat  urk  U niversitesi, Fen-Edebiyat Fak ultesi, Matematik B ol  um u, Erzurum, Turkey Abstract It is possible to write the equations governing a one-stage enzyme-catalysed reaction (according to Michaelis±Menten kinetics) quite easily, and deduce information about the steady-state ¯ux in such a system. The situation is somewhat more complicated if several such reactions form a linear chain. We have applied Gr obner-basis techniques to solve such systems and hence demonstrate the use of computer algebra as a powerful technique in enzyme kinetic analysis. Ó 1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Computers are usually used to manipulate numbers. However they can just as well work with other symbols, for example algebraic variables. Computer algebra systems are programs to manipulate symbols as algebraic quantities [1]. Computer algebra (often also called symbolic computation) can easily han- dle polynomials of thousands of terms in many variables. We can provide pro- cedures to simplify or factorise expressions, dierentiate, integrate and so on. This is conventional algebra, but carried out on formulas far too large to ma- nipulate by hand. A particular technique of importance to this work is the calculation of Gr obner-bases [2]. These are canonical representations of systems of multivar- iate polynomials. A consequence is that they often permit us to solve simulta- neous non-linear equations. A new approach to analysis of enzyme kinetics has recently been proposed in Ref. [3]. Measurement of enzyme kinetic parameters is usually performed by ®tting experimental data to steady-state rate equations. Applied Mathematics and Computation 94 (1998) 73±81 0096-3003/98/$19.00 Ó 1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. PII:S0096-3003(97)10028-5