Biology subjects

Gee, K. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Gee, K. R..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2019

Evaluation of PicoGreen variants for use in microscopy and flow cytometry

PicoGreen is a fluorescent probe that binds dsDNA and forms a highly luminescent complex when compared to the free dye in solution. This unique probe is widely used in DNA quantitation assays but has limited application in flow cytometry and microscopy. Here we have investigated various PicoGreen variants for the ability to stain low amounts of cytosolic DNA present in many tumor cells. Analysis of stained cells by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy showed that certain variants improved the ability to stain low levels of cytosolic DNA when compared to the commercially available PicoGreen molecule.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Development of photoactivatable drugs enables nicotinic optopharmacology

Photoactivatable ( caged) pharmacological agents have revolutionized neuroscience but the palette of available ligands is limited. We describe a general method for caging tertiary amines using an unconventional quaternary ammonium linkage that is chemically stable and elicits a desirable red-shift in activation wavelength. A photoactivatable nicotine (PA-Nic) prepared using this strategy could be uncaged via 1- or 2-photon excitation, making it useful for optopharmacology experiments to study nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in different experimental preparations and spatiotemporal scales.

neuroscience↗