About
Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Photon Technology International C-61
Perkin Elmer 650-40
Turner Model 112
Homemade Fluorimeters
Applications
About Fluorescence Spectroscopy
The first step in molecular fluorescence is the absorption of light energy by a molecule. The molecule "accomodates" this additional energy by promoting an electron to a higher (excited) energy level. The additional energy can be released several different ways. The molecule could loose some of the energy through enhanced vibrations (red squiggley line). Fluorescence occurs when the molecule releases that remainder of the energy by emitting light. Because of the energy loss due to molecular vibration in between the absorbance and emission processes, the fluorescence is usually lower energy (higher wavelength) than the absorbance.
Instrumentation used to measure fluorescence involves 1) an excitation light source and a means to select the excitation wavelenght, 2) a sample holder, 3) a means to select the fluorescence wavelength to be monitored, 4) a detector capable of generating a signal proportional to the intensity of light striking it, and 5) associated electronics and readout devices.
Fluorescence is capable of detecting analyte molecules present in extremely low concentrations (1 fluorescent molecule out of a billion molecules can be detected routinely). The fluorescence of a molecule is often sensitive to its local environment. Therefore, fluorescence signals can report information about the microenvironment surrounding a molecule.
Fluorescence has provided rich information regarding biomolecules and their dynamics. It has been used to monitor polymerization processes, detect bases on DNA, measure diffusion coefficients, investigate binding sites of antibodies, and probe the internal polarity of proteins just to name a few.
Photon Technology International C-61 Fluorescence Spectrometer
The PTI C-61 fluorometer is the sweetest fluorometer that we have. It's modular design offers flexibility in orientation, and the dual emission monochromators offer us access to just about every type of steady-state fluorescence measurement available. We have added polarizers to perform fluorescence polarization measurements, a 4-position automated sample holder, and fiber optic chucks on the excitation and emission monochromators. A computer controls all instrument functions. We have a HeCd laser that can be substitued for the Xe arc lamp source.
Partial Key to PTI C-61 Diagram
1 - Xe Arc Lamp (excitation
source)
3 - Excitation Monochromator (selects ex wavelength)
8 - Sample Holder
11 - Emission Monochromators (selects fluorescence wavelength)
12 - Detector Photomultiplier Tubes
Perkin-Elmer 650-40 Fluorescence Spectrometer
This mid-80's fluorometer has a Xe arc lamp excitation source, excitation and emission monochromators, and a photomultiplier detector. We actually constructed our own computer interface for this instrument to drive the monochromators and collect the detector signal, but abandoned it after we obtained the PTI system. It still functions well as a stand alone fluorometer, and we use it when we don't need to scan the monochromators during data collection. It is a nice introduction to fluorescence instrumentation.
The Turner Model 112 is an inexpensive filter fluorometer from the early 1980's. Instead of using monochromators to select the excitation or emission wavelengths, this instrument uses filters. This lowers the cost dramatically, and has the ability to allow more photons to reach the detector. This particular instrument is in excellent shape, and can detect quinine in tonic water at the part per trillion range. By attaching a general purpose computer interface, we can use this instrument to examine kinetics of systems involving a change in fluorescence.
A few student projects have involved the construction of simple, inexpensive fluorimeters. These fluorimeters are based on LEDs for excitation sources, and silicon photodiodes for detectors. We can use a general purpose computer interface to digitize data, or simply use a voltmeter to monitor the output of the detector after it has been amplified.
One of the classic fluorescence experiments that is performed in undergraduate curricula is the determination of quinine in tonic water. Quinine fluoresces when excited with UV light (around 350 nm). The intensity of quinine fluorescence (at around 450 nm) depends upon quinine concnetration, providing a means to determine quinine concnetration in an unknown.
One can also use fluorescence to determine characteristics of a molecules local environment. PRODAN is sensitive to the polarity of its environment. In a nonpolar solvent PRODAN's fluorescence is blue. In a polar solvent like water, PRODAN glows green. This phenomenon can be used to determine the extent of binding of PRODAN to cyclodextrin, because the binding results in a change in polarity of PRODAN's environment. The interior of CD is nonpolar. Therefore, when PRODAN moves from water to the interior of the CD, the fluorescence changes. One can use this information to determine the equilibrium constant for the binding process.
More sophistocated applications of fluorescence abound. Fluorescence has provided insights into biomolecule dynamics, solvation kinetics, and reached the ulitimate detection limit - a single molecule! By measuring the time scale of fluorescence, one opens the door to a treasure trove of dynamic information.
The following list of fluorescence applications is by no means comprehensive It is to simply wet your appetite.
Protein Dynamics and Denaturation
Fast Solvation Kinetics
Dynamics of Protein Folding
Structure and Flexibility of Membranes
Investigating Antigen-Antibody Binding
Selective Detection in Chromatography and Electrophoresis
Detection in DNA Sequencing
Determination of Ca2+ and Mg2+ Inside Cells
Remote Sensing using Fiber Optics
The
cytoskeleton of a fixed and permeabilized bovine pulmonary artery endothelial
cell
(www.probes.com)
Links to Some Fluorescence Sites
Vendors of Fluorescence Instrumentation and Dyes
Molecular
Probes
http://www.probes.com/
Photon
Technologies International
http://www.pti-nj.com/welcome.html
Perkin
Elmer
http://las.perkinelmer.com/catalog/Category.aspx?CategoryName=Luminescence
IBH - http://www.ibh.co.uk/
ISS
http://www.iss.com/
Turner
Designs
http://www.turnerdesigns.com/
Bio-Rad
Fluorescence Database
http://fluorescence.bio-rad.com/
A
relatively small fluorescence resource page
http://www.fluorescence-resource.com/
Research involving Fluorescence
Journal
of Fluorescence
http://cfs.umbi.umd.edu/jf/
Center
for Fluorescence Spectroscopy
University of Maryland School of Medicine
http://cfs.umbi.umd.edu/cfs/index.html
Laboratory
for Fluorescence Dynamics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
http://lfd.uiuc.edu/index.html
Dr.
Frank V. Bright
University of Buffalo
Department of Chemistry
http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~chefvb/mainpage/
