Entry, 2021
Fluorescent dyes can be used to visualize cell structures in microscopic images. This is especially useful when trying to distinguish different components within animal cells, since most of their intracellular structures are transparent.
Shown here is a mount of BPAE (bovine pulmonary artery endothelial) cells stained with three different fluorescent dyes that each label different cellular structures. The first stain fluoresces green light and labels the cells’ microtubules. The second stain emits red light and binds specifically to the microfilaments of the cytoskeleton. Finally, the third stain fluoresces blue light and binds to DNA to label the cells’ nuclei. This laboratory exercise is performed by hundreds of College of Natural Sciences students each semester as an introduction to fluorescence microscopy, under the instruction of biology professor Dr. Martha Maas.
Credit:
Maya Vemulapalli
Neuroscience Undergraduate Student
Shardè T. Shorter
Health Promotion and Behavioral Science Undergraduate Student
Devin Davis
Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Student
Nick DeBattista
Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Student