Carbon-13 Tracer Analysis
Carbon-13 Tracer Analysis - Related Videos
01:10
Carbon-13 (¹³C) NMR: Overview
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2024
Carbon-13 is a naturally occurring NMR-active isotope of carbon with a low natural abundance of 1.1%. In contrast, carbon-12 is the most abundant isotope of carbon with zero nuclear spin. Therefore, it is NMR inactive. The gyromagnetic ratio of carbon-13 is smaller than that of protons. As a result, carbon-13 resonance is about 6000 times weaker than proton resonance. For a given magnetic field strength, the resonance frequency of carbon-13 is about one-fourth of the resonance frequency for...
10:41
Carbon and Nitrogen Analysis of Environmental Samples
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Margaret Workman and Kimberly Frye - Depaul University Elemental Analysis is a method used to determine elemental composition of a material. In environmental samples such as soils, scientists are particularly interested in the amounts of two ecologically important elements, nitrogen and carbon. Elemental analysis by the flash combustion technique works by oxidizing the sample with a catalyst through combustion in a high-temperature chamber. The products of combustion are...
10:57
Intramuscular Injections Along the Motor End Plates: A Minimally Invasive Approach to Shuttle Tracers Directly into Motor Neurons
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Cited by 20 •
2015
The efficacy of intramuscular uptake and retrograde transport of molecules to corresponding motor neurons depends on the location of the injection sites with respect to the motor end plates (MEPs). Here, we describe how to locate MEPs on skeletal muscles to optimise retrograde transport of tracers into motor neurons.
08:12
Characterization, Quantification and Compound-specific Isotopic Analysis of Pyrogenic Carbon Using Benzene Polycarboxylic Acids (BPCA)
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Cited by 40 •
2016
We present the benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) method for assessing pyrogenic carbon (PyC) in the environment. The compound-specific approach uniquely provides simultaneous information about the characteristics, quantity and isotopic composition (13C and 14C) of PyC.
09:35
Fluorescently Labeled Bacteria as a Tracer to Reveal Novel Pathways of Organic Carbon Flow in Aquatic Ecosystems
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Cited by 6 •
2019
Presented here is a protocol for a single-cell, epifluorescence microscopy-based technique to quantify grazing rates in aquatic predatory eukaryotes with high precision and taxonomic resolution.
FAQs
A labeled substrate supplies carbon-13 atoms that can be tracked as they move into downstream molecules. Detecting those atoms shows whether the substrate contributed carbon to particular intermediates or products, while the distribution of label indicates how carbon was transformed through the pathway. This helps connect substrate use with pathway activity and biosynthetic outcomes.
Carbon-13 tracer analysis identifies labeled carbon through differences in mass or through nuclear magnetic resonance signals. Mass-based detection distinguishes molecules according to isotope-related mass differences, whereas nuclear magnetic resonance detects signals associated with the carbon-13 nuclei. Both approaches separate labeled atoms from naturally abundant carbon-12, providing evidence of isotope incorporation.
The location and amount of carbon-13 across molecules can indicate which metabolic intermediates form and how carbon is distributed among biochemical products. These patterns help determine carbon sources and follow transformations during biosynthesis, energy metabolism, or cellular adaptation. Interpretation therefore focuses not only on whether labeling occurred, but also on where the labeled carbon appears.
Carbon-13 is nonradioactive, so the method supports detailed metabolic investigations without the handling hazards associated with radioactive tracers. This property allows researchers to follow carbon movement while measuring isotope-related mass differences or nuclear magnetic resonance signals. Its stable-isotope basis is especially relevant when experiments require molecular-level information about carbon transformation and distribution.
A typical workflow begins by introducing a carbon-13-labeled nutrient or metabolic intermediate into the biological system. Researchers then measure isotope incorporation through mass differences or nuclear magnetic resonance signals and examine which molecules contain the label. Comparing the resulting distribution with the starting substrate helps identify pathway activity, intermediates, and carbon destinations.
The approach is useful when a study needs to determine how carbon moves through biosynthetic or energy-generating pathways, identify metabolic intermediates, or establish the source of carbon in a biological process. It can also clarify metabolic changes associated with cellular adaptation, making isotope tracking a way to connect observed molecules with underlying biochemical activity.