photographing GFP

[Ted M.]

In article <1995Aug18.090058.19263 at leeds.ac.uk>, futers at biovax.leeds.ac.uk
wrote:

> Hi,
> Has anyone any experience of photographing cells that are expressing
> GFP (green fluorescent protein?  What is the best light source 
> for excitation and is it necessary to use any filters?
> Many thanks
>        Simon Futers  (futers at biovax.leeds.ac.uk)

A bandpass filter of ~488nm over a very bright incandescent source like a
slide projector works well for  excitation while a ~520nm bandpass filter
allows viewing the green glow on a totally black background, provided you
have a std. GFP species. Such filters could probably be fitted to a camera
and they cost $200-$300 from such places as Edmund Scientific (or Fisher
etc)

PS excitation could also be from a single line Argon laser (also 488nm) if
photobleaching is avoided.

regards,

Ted Michelini
Institute of Molecular Biology
University of Oregon
tedm at darkwing.uoregon.edu