2005-06-28

(3.47 am)
Plan:
- Image Suvir's single molecule experiment
- install TIRF
  - objective
  - lift the camera position
- mark 
  - the upper objective translation stage
  - power supply
- browse slide holder
- make the new sealant
- clean the CCD camera
- increase the tube length
- install the 

[X] ask Karolyn about the purchase order documentation

- reply Bernie's e-mail

(11.01 am)
- using Ted Pella microscope slides seems make tubes sticks better to surface

- to remove the artifact in the middle of the image:
  align the sample - lower objective distance and lower stage

(11.35 am)
- forgot that the laser was blocked by a stikcy notes, the slide was broken

(1-5 pm)
- Heath's lab
  -test 100x immersion oil objective
  -compare the stickiness of Corning, VWR, TedPella

We have tried glass slides from three different companies (VWR, CORNING, and Tel Pella).  Using several simple washing steps, we deposited DNA nanotubes with different magnesium concentrations (12.5mM or 25mM).  The followings are what we found:

(Notes: On the names of the files, '1xMg' corresponds to 12.5mM Mg2+ and '2xMg' to 25mM.  The last number is the size of the field of view in micrometers)

(i) Ted Pella:  DNA tubes are partially sticking at 12.5mM Mg2+ but stick really well at 25mM Mg2+ (see the movies at http://www.acm.caltech.edu/~mchoi/2005-06-28/tedpella)
    see UE(Cy3)_1xMg_top_40x_37um.avi
    see UE(Cy3)_2xMg_bottom_100x_13um.avi and UE(Cy3)_2xMg_bottom_100x_70um.avi
(i) VWR: DNA tubes do not stick at 12.5mM Mg2+ and partially stick at 25mM Mg2+ (see the movies at http://www.acm.caltech.edu/~mchoi/2005-06-28/VWR)
(ii) CORNING: DNA tubes are completely immobilized  at both 12.5mM and 25mM Mg2+ (see the movies at http://www.acm.caltech.edu/~mchoi/2005-06-28/Corning)
    see UE(Cy3)_1xMg_bottom_100x_14um.avi for 12.5mM Mg2+
    see UE(Cy3)_2xMg_top_40x_52um.avi   

Also, here is the simple washing protocols I mentioned above:
(i) rinsed with DI water
(ii) rinsed with nanopure water
(iii) rinsed with ethanol and blow dry with nitrogen gun