Phagocytosis is an essential function of host defenses against invading microbes, and the study of phagocytosis relies on knowing if a target object is bound to the outer surface of a cell, or has been internalized by it. In the inaugural year of FEMS Microbiology Letters, Dr Jan Hed published a novel technique for discriminating between intracellular and extracellularly bound bacteria and yeasts. The original method used crystal violet to quench the fluorescence emission of extracellular fluorescein-labeled bacteria and yeasts while leaving intracellular particles largely unaffected. The technique of fluorescence quenching was a major catalyst for phagocytosis research using living cells, in part due to its accuracy, flexibility and adaptability to a variety of experimental systems.
CITATION STYLE
Drevets, D. A. (2017). The importance of being in or out. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 364(10), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnx067
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.