Understanding in detail how cell machinery works requires highly specialized tools. These tools are of course, microscopic, and require imaging methods in order to visualize. In this section of the blog, we explore imaging as a methodology, and the plasmid tools that utilize imaging techniques. Explore topics related to fluorescent proteins, luminescence, biosensors, chemogenetics, optogenetics, and even some unusual visualization methods.
An introduction to the basics of fluorescent proteins, reporters, and more! This section is a great place to learn about the various tools for imaging, or how to use reporters and sensors in your experiments.
Dive deeper into fluorescent proteins and the various techniques where they are employed.
While luminescence is not a fluorescence readout, it can still be used for similar studies. Luminescence is a characteristic of the luciferase enzyme which emits photons during a chemical reaction. For example, the firefly luciferase converts luciferin to oxyluciferin and releases light during that process.
Chemogenetic uses receptors that are activated by small molecules to activate or inhibit cellular responses. These receptors are activated by a synthetic small molecule of interest and are typically unresponsive to native ligands which enables specific control of cell activity with limited off-target effects. While popular in neuroscience, chemogenetic receptors have also been used in other cell types.
Optogenetics uses light to control protein activity. Ion channels that open and close in response to light are expressed in specific neurons to allow for activation or deactivation of these neurons in a precise manner. Light sensitive protein domains can also be fused to a protein of interest to create an optical switch for controlling protein interactions, localization or activity of that protein.
Biosensors can be used to monitor a process or detect a molecule. Biosensor activity can be detected using microscopy or by measuring a change in fluorescence intensity or wavelength. Find some examples of fluorescent biosensors with plasmids available at Addgene in this section.
Cell tracing allows for tracking of cells at a single cell level. Neurons and their projections are often traced via fluorescent protein expression. Tracing the lineage of a cell allows for the identification of all progeny of that cell.
This section features plasmid tools developed by Addgene depositors for imaging, reporting and more, that were not covered in the above sections.
Addgene is a nonprofit repository for plasmids, viral vectors, and antibodies developed by the global research community.
