At the Speed of Light

High-Throughput Fluorescence Products High-Throughput Fluorescence Products (continued) PE Biosystems' FMAT 8100 HTS system Efforts by biopharmaceutical and academic laboratories to screen very large synthetic or natural compound libraries have inspired development of new and diverse forms of fluorescence technology suitable for ultrafast quantification, or high-throughput screening (HTS). This article will review the assays and instruments behind this high-speed chase. But before jumping in

Written byJorge Cortese

| 12 min read

Save for Later

Listen with Speechify

0:00

12:00

High-Throughput Fluorescence Products

High-Throughput Fluorescence Products (continued)

PE Biosystems' FMAT 8100 HTS system

Efforts by biopharmaceutical and academic laboratories to screen very large synthetic or natural compound libraries have inspired development of new and diverse forms of fluorescence technology suitable for ultrafast quantification, or high-throughput screening (HTS). This article will review the assays and instruments behind this high-speed chase. But before jumping into the fast waters of high-throughput (HT) fluorescence measurements (over 1,000 samples per day), the predominant techniques will be introduced.

When light hits a fluorophore molecule, it is absorbed and emitted with less energy to produce fluorescence. The emission intensity is a measure of fluorophore concentration. Alternatively, light absorption by a fluorophore can occur close to an appropriate acceptor that receives it and emits a photon (fluorescence resonance energy transfer or FRET). Proximity between fluorophores measured by FRET precisely reflects binding of soluble and membrane-bound molecules.¹

Time-resolved fluorescence ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member?