Visualizing gene expression in situ

Robert S. Burlage

doi:10.1117/12.339026

10 February 1999 Visualizing gene expression in situ

Robert S. Burlage

Proceedings Volume 3534, Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technologies; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.339026
Event: Photonics East (ISAM, VVDC, IEMB), 1998, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

Visualizing bacterial cells and describing their responses to the environment are difficult tasks. Their small size is the chief reason for the difficulty, which means that we must often use many millions of cells in a sample in order to determine what the average response of the bacteria is. However, an average response can sometimes mask important events in bacterial physiology, which means that our understanding of these organisms will suffer. We have used a variety of instruments to visualize bacterial cells, all of which tell us something different about the sample. We use a fluorescence activated cell sorter to sort cells based on the fluorescence provided by bioreporter genes, and these can be used to select for particular genetic mutations. Cells can be visualized by epifluorescent microscopy, and sensitive photodetectors can be added that allow us to find a single bacterial cell that is fluorescent or bioluminescent. We have also used standard photomultipliers to examine cell aggregates as field bioreporter microorganisms. Examples of each of these instruments show how our understanding of bacterial physiology has changed with the technology.

Citation Download Citation

Robert S. Burlage "Visualizing gene expression in situ", Proc. SPIE 3534, Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technologies, (10 February 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.339026

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