Dynamics Author: Howard Goldner During the past few decades, fluorescence spectroscopy has developed into an integral technique in many scientific disciplines. In the life sciences, it is implemented extensively in areas such as biochemistry, biophysics, and cell biology for a variety of applications, ranging from basic assay-related quantitative measurements to DNA sequencing. Locates Molecules:Fluorolog-t2 Spectrometer More recently, advances in instrumentation, laser technology, and fluore

Through the years, a variety of separation techniques have been used by researchers in their continuing challenge to accurately separate and identify analytes of interest from complex mixtures. Numerous procedures, physical as well as chemical, conducted in an assortment of vessels, are often used to achieve this goal. During the past 25 years, column techniques such as gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have led to successful separation and identification

For the second time in three years, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) will hold its annual meeting together with the Division of Biological Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The cooperative event will take place from Sunday, May 21 through Thursday, May 25 in San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center. More than 3,000 scientists are expected to attend the conference and exhibition, bringing together a broad span of chemists, biochemists, and biol

Cell culture is widely used today in the production of various biologically active materials, such as viral vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, hormones, enzymes, and tumor-specific antigens. These items are produced by normal, transformed, and genetically engineered cells. The large-scale cultivation of specific cell lines is of major importance in the cost- effective manufacturing of many therapeutic proteins. >From laboratory benchtops to production floors, and even in outer space (see accompa

Life scientists from a wide array of disciplines, whose paths might not normally cross, will come together in Atlanta for Experimental Biology '95 (EB '95) from Sunday, April 9 through Thursday, April 13. The 15,000 biomedical researchers expected to attend will get a chance to meet one another, share information, and plan future research activities while attending scores of technical sessions on such topics as "Protein Lipidation in Cellular Signaling" and "Degeneration and Regeneration of the

A true laboratory workhorse, the centrifuge has been an essential part of most biological labs for many years. Using centrifugal force obtained by spinning experimental samples at high revolutions per minute (rpm), the device functions as a preparative method to separate various sample components, within minutes, for further treatment. Ultracentrifugation is an even more powerful technique that is used in analytical studies involving the characterization of and interactions between biological m

"So much to do, so little time" appears to sum up the busy program planned for the 209th national meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), to be held April 2-6 in the Convention Center and nearby hotels in Anaheim, Calif. The expected 10,000 participants will have a choice of attending more than 600 technical sessions, and more than 5,000 papers will be presented. The wide range of topics at this spring's meeting indicates the highly interdisciplinary nature of the field a

Ordinary tap water contains a variety of impurities, including dissolved organics, inorganics, and gases; suspended particles; numerous microorganisms; and pyrogens, or endotoxins--the byproducts of bacterial degredation. Although the actual types and amounts of contaminants often vary with geographic location, seasonal cycles, and other factors, they are all considered by researchers to be detrimental to life-sciences investigations and must be eliminated. Six basic water-purification technol

David Smith, manager of electronic imaging at Fryer Co. Inc., a Huntley, Ill.-based distributor of optical instrumentation, offers the following suggestions for those considering the purchase of imaging equipment: 1. Define your problem and develop a formal specification of your needs before going out to shop for an image-analysis system. 2. Ask suppliers if their products have the functions your application requires. 3. Determine what the imaging system can do, other than your specific ap

Selective microzapping_dubbed laser ablation, a highly accurate technique of micromanipulation that enables researchers to burn off or cut through cellular material without destroying surrounding tissue_offers exciting possibilities as a research tool. However, its benefits have been somewhat compromised because most conventional laser- ablation systems operate at fixed wavelengths, and use open- beam configurations that require great care in maintaining alignment. Often a system must be perfe