title: Single-molecule fluorescence observed with mercury lamp illumination.
abstract: We demonstrate that it is possible to observe single fluorescent molecules using a standard fluorescence microscope with mercury lamp excitation and an inexpensive cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. With this equipment, we have been able to observe single molecules of tetramethyl-rhodamine, rhodamine 6G, fluorescein isothiocyanate and green fluorescent protein. Immobilized molecules were observed both in air and in aqueous solution.
authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kartalov
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Quake
mesh_terms: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006639:Histidine; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008027:Light; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008628:Mercury; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000737:chemistry; D019809:Streptavidin / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D012235:Rhodamines; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C033223:polyhistidine; D006639:Histidine; D019809:Streptavidin; D008628:Mercury