NADH is an optical metabolic indicator– a molecule we can use to monitor metabolism– because it is naturally occurring, it is involved in energy metabolism, and it fluoresces. NADH fluorescence depends on which protein to which it is bound.
UV-excited autofluorescence spectroscopy is a technique used to measure the emission spectrum of excited biological substances. This technique is useful in observing metabolic processes. This allows for medical applications, including the recognition of tissue-based conditions, including cancer.
Phasor analysis is used to quantify the spectrum shape alongside UV-excited autofluorescence spectroscopy to look at cellular NADH and NADPH conformation in baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) suspensions. For this presentation, we investigated the autofluorescence response to the additions of cyanide and ethanol, which are both respiratory inhibitors.
Author(s): Dylan Aubel and Quinn Donnelly
Advisor: Paul Urayama, PhD., Department of Physics
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