fluorescence

This web site displays a series of light and confocal micrographs illustrating a variety of subcellular structures and organelles. This provides a useful educational resource for people interested in cytology who do not have access to advanced imaging technologies or cell biological expertise.

This educational site offers background information on fluorescence as well as various applications in which it can be used.

This image gallery contains thumbnails of over 30 of the most common cell lines, labeled with a variety of fluorophores using both traditional staining methods as well as immunofluorescence techniques.

Various thumbnails of fluorescence staining in mammalian and insect cells.

Animations and simulations dealing with fluorescence microscopy

GFP is a fluorescent protein isolated from coelenterates. Its role is to transduce the blue chemiluminescence of the protein aequorin into green fluorescent light by energy transfer. The gene for GFP has been isolated and has become a useful tool for making chimeric proteins of GFP linked to other proteins where it functions as a fluorescent protein tag. As a noninvasive fluorescent marker in living cells, it allows for a wide range of applications where it may function as a cell lineage tracer, reporter of gene expression, or as a measure of protein-protein interactions.

These pages illustrate aspects of fluorescence spectroscopy that are useful for elucidating structural and dynamic properties of proteins. Fluorescent techniques can provide parameters consistent with crystallographic results. The various environments of the fluorophores of a folded protein and the unique stereochemistry of the polypeptide chain affect the fluorophores in many ways which can be used to characterize and to follow changes in the folded conformation in solution. Fluorescence-based techniques can give information about a protein's conformation, binding sites, solvent interactions, degree of flexibility, internal motions, rotational diffusion coefficient, and many other physicochemical parameters.

Researchers at Harvard have imaged neurons in mice with fluorescent tags and have also imaged viruses in this way to create images of neuron bundles and cell viruses.

Mouse neurons in genetically modified mice express various combinations of fluorescent proteins to create a rainbow of fluorescent colors. These mice are used to trace neural pathways.

Glow in the dark cats

Fluorescence Microscopy movies

General Microscopy Information

This site has the fluorescence spectra for many common foods including liquids and solids. Samples include olive oil, juices, beer, wine, sugar, beef, chocolate, pears, tomatoes, carrots, etc.

A whole range of genetically modified organisms is shown including cats, dogs, monkeys, fish, and many more.

Super resolution fluorescence microscopy was Nature Methods' choice for Method of the Year in 2008.