You should read "Raman microscopy techniques for the characterisation of pigments"by Robin J. H. Clark and coworkers before class on 11/30/09.
Discussion Questions:
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Raman scattering to study important historical artifacts?
2. What is the purpose of the interference filter, the spatial filter, and the double monochromator in the common Raman instrumentation described?
3. In one described example, why are some of the white features in the text turning black? How was this revealed? Where would you find the Raman bands relevant for this discovery?
4. Can you think of other sample types where non-destructive Raman analysis would be particularly applicable?
]]>You should read "Oxygen Sensors Based on Luminescence Quenching"by James N. Demas and coworkers.
Discussion Questions for "Oxygen Sensors Based on Luminescence Quenching"
1. According to the Stern-Volmer expressions, what combination of rate constants will yield the highest sensitivity quenching sensor?
2. Why is it important that the quencher molecule have a significant Stokes shift?
3. Why is it advantageous to use a fluorophore with a long lifetime in oxygen sensor applications?
4. Come up with one experimental scenario not discussed within this paper where a luminescence-based oxygen sensor would be useful?
You should read "Analytical Bioluminescence and Chemiluminscence".
Discussion Questions for "Analytical Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence"
1. What molecule(s) could be sensed quantitatively using a luciferin/luciferase reaction?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of chemiluminescence compared to fluorescence?
3. What is the difference between FRET and BRET?
4. What are the major challenges to performing in vivo spectroscopic imaging?
]]>You should read "IR Spectroscopy: Clinical and Diagnostic Applications" by Janie Dubois and coworkers before class on 11/13/09.
Discussion Questions for "IR Spectroscopy - Clinical and Diagnostic Applications":
1. What artifacts might be introduced while performing IR absorption measurements of biological fluids?
2. Where are the major biological IR absorption bands?
3. Is infrared absorption spectroscopy a good method to diagnose arthritis? Do infrared absorption spectroscopy diagnostics give information about the cause or progression of the disease?
4. Compare FT-IR and IR microscopy as diagnostic/clinical tools.
5. What is the diffraction limited spatial resolution in mid-IR absorption spectroscopy? Is this sufficient to probe biological tissue?