SpectraMax M5

Wooohooo!! We finally got a new fluorometer and the best thing is, it’s a plate reader, it has a cuvette reader AND it’s dual monochromatic!!

Ever since I got the plasmid constructed, I was trying to detect fluorescence of the cells after induction with IPTG but was not very successful as the filters for fluorescence that we have on our microscope is specific for GFP. It does not allow me to distinguish between CFP and YFP. Before, I was using the TD-700 Fluorometer from Turner Design. However, it actually belongs to Dr. Marsh and they have started a live-dead assay using fluorescence proteins so they would need it back now. I could still borrow it but it was quite inconvenient as I would have to return it by 5-5.30pm before people in the lab leaves and sometimes I need it for more than a day, which wouldn’t be nice.

About a week back, Tom told me that a request for a fluorometer from the department has been approved. It was a shared award between him, Dr. Britton, Dr. Bagdasarian and a few other professors. I was so excited over it when we had the training. I am also impressed that is has both a cuvette and a micro-plate reader. Furthermore, it has the capability to measure fluorescence polarization if I ever need to. I’ve got a new toy! Here’s the baby – A SpectraMax M5 from Molecular Devices.