Fast Time-Resolved Fluorometer

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This proposal is a request to purchase a fast time-resolved fluorometer. Fluorescence describes the process whereby a dye releases its excess energy by emitting a photon. This process occurs on a time scale of a few tens of nanoseconds and a time-resolved fluorometer (TRF) measures how quickly the fluorescence emitted by a dye dissipates over time. TRFs are used to study a variety of molecules which are used in plastics, detergents, proteins, DNA, and many other synthetic and natural products. Many fluorescence studies probe the interactions between a dye and another molecule that is introduced in the system to quench the fluorescence of the dye. The time scale over which quenching occurs provides critical information about the system under study. For instance, the low quenching rate of a dye located in the hydrophobic pocket of a macromolecule by a water-soluble quencher demonstrates that the interior of the hydrophobic pocket is highly viscous locally and that the macromolecule could be used as a delivery vehicle for the slow release of hydrophobic drugs.