Back to Main Page
			Recent Research
			Spectra
			Send Email for any  questions about this  instrument

  -Before using any instruments,    make sure the lab instructor (TA    or professor) has instructed you    on its use.   DO NOT use any of    the instrument unless you are    supervised by a lab instructor,    graduate instrument assistant,    or by a professor.   All of these    instruments are very expensive,    and printing out and reading    the directions alone is not    enough information to be able    to properly use any of the    instruments.

Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Experimental Biochemistry I Fluorospectroscopy Instructions

1. Turn on the POWER switch (not Main Power yet).

2. After waiting 10 seconds, press and hold the Xe Lamp START Button     (located next to the Main Power switch) for 3 or 4 seconds (do not hold it in     for more than 5 seconds). This should turn on the Xe lamp. If the lamp turns     on, the Xe orange light will be dimly lit. The Xe lamp lamp cannot be     started while the Main switch is turned on.

3. Turn on the MAIN POWER switch. After a few seconds, the following     screen (in orange font color) should be displayed:

        Initialization
        ROM Check OK
        RAM Check OK

.
.
.

4. After the instrument goes through its initialization sequence, you are ready     to set the parameters you will need for the experiment.

5. Using the photometry mode, make sure to set the DATA MODE to CONC.     This will allow you to measure the standard and analyte samples, and     concentration calculations are carried out.

6. Set up the sample ID number (1 to 9999), and set the replicates to "3."

7. Under TEST SETUP, make sure to set the HI LIMIT and LO LIMIT, as well     as the UNIT LABEL (mg/mL, ng/ML etc.) values.

8. Next, input the number of standards (2 to 10) under the NUM STDS option.

9. Under CURVE MODE, choose NEW, so a new curve will be developed as     you perform the experiment.

10. For CURVE DATA, also choose NEW.

11. For the TEST NAME option, enter a test name (refer to Table 1).

12. For INSTR SETUP, set RESPONSE to 0.5 sec, BANDPASS to 10 nm,       PM VOLTAGE to 400, and TEXT PRINT to on.

13. Make sure to save the parameters you have selected using the SAVE       PARAMS option.

14. If a wavelength to be measured is not known, do a pre-scan (see Table       2) to see what wavelength to use. If the wavelength is known, continue to       step 15.

15. After setting all of the parameters, and knowing the wavelength to use,        press the FORWARD key, and the MEASUREMENT screen will appear.

16. Next, set the standard sample 1, and press START (EX or EM) key.

17. Set standard sample 2, and then press the START key again.

18. After completing the standard measurements, the results are reported on        the screen, and a calibration curve is developed.

19. Set the analyte sample, and press the START key.

20. After measuring the analyte sample, the measurement value and        calculated concentration will be displayed on the screen.