Creative Biolabs now provides various strategies for digital imaging and functional analysis in drug discovery. Based on the advanced drug discovery platform established for years, Creative Biolabs can provide tailored digital imaging services using fluorescence microscopy.
Fluorescence microscopy is a technique designed with the purpose of only showing the specimen of interest in an otherwise black background. Due to the essential selectivity of fluorescence microscopy, as well as the development of fluorescent proteins and novel fluorescent probes, fluorescence imaging has become the backbone of microscopy in the service of biology. When producing peculiar biological probes, fluorescence is used as a tag or label. However, the majority of biological molecules don't have fluorescence on their own. Hence, it's necessary for them to be connected with fluorescent molecules to make peculiar fluorescent probes. Because of the wide spectral range of fluorophores, it's available to image different cellular, subcellular or molecular components at the same time.
Figure 1. The fluorescence microscope. (Lichtman et al. 2005)
Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy
Confocal fluorescence microscopy is one of the forms of microscopic technique which can offer actual three-dimensional (3D) optical resolution. In confocal fluorescence microscopy, the actual 3D resolution is performed via energetically prohibiting any signal deriving from out-of-focus planes. Utilizing a pinhole in advance of the detector as schematically depicted can make this accomplished. Usually, in this technique, the specimen is lighted by a laser. The light deriving from the laser crosses over an (excitation) pinhole, is reverberated by a dichroic mirror, and focused by a microscope objective to a small spot in the specimen. There are several fluorescent proteins used in the confocal fluorescence microscopy, such as GFP, BFP, CFP, and YFP.
Applications of Fluorescence Microscopy
Fluorescence imaging can make molecules exceed the resolution restriction of the light microscope to be visualized. Fluorescence microscopy is a pivotal tool in clinical diagnostic and study circumstances, such as pathology, cytogenetics, microbiology, and immunology. Especially, confocal fluorescence microscopy has become a crucial approach for the research of molecular dynamics and structural in living cells. Imaging techniques, for example, FRET, FRAP, FLIP, and TIRF have the requirement of fluorescence. Fluorescence microscopy is indeed essential for recognizing fluorescent minerals, pollutants and impurities in geology, semiconductor checking, materials science, and environmental conservation.
Creative Biolabs has focused on drug discovery for years; our scientists are confident in performing consummate digital imaging services using fluorescence microscopy. Creative Biolabs also provides other various drug discovery services. For more detailed information, please feel free to contact us or directly sent us an inquiry.
References
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