How is fluorescence used as a tool in Biology?
The idea here is to demonstrate the potential to detect biomolecules and microbes by using fluorescence technology. Have students illuminate test tube with 10-5 M Hoechst 3328 in 1X SSC with black light. Then, add a dropful of 0.1 mg/ml Salmon sperm DNA. Using a fresh tube of Hoechst, add 1 ml culture of bacteria, maybe +/- formalin (increases permeability and enables staining). Using the Fluorobacter – this is a fluorescent bacterial analogue to detect efficiency of hand washing – Ask Theresa about this as some arrived for her the other day. • Detection of Amplified targets with Molecular Beacons We don’t know if this will work so a trial is necessary. I was envisioning using a 200 ul optical tube inside a glass test tube that had water in it. We would need to have the beacon at 100 nm final concentration, perhaps in 100 ul of NASBA-like buffer (correct KCl, Tris, etc). To get started, use the fluorescence spectrophotometer in the dark lab, and see if you can see fluorescence viewed f
