Radioisotope Usage
Radioisotope Usage - Related Videos
01:28
Isotopes and Radioisotopes
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2023
In the early 1900s, English chemist Frederick Soddy realized that an element could have atoms with different masses that were chemically indistinguishable. These different types are called isotopes — atoms of the same element that differ in mass. Isotopes differ in mass because they have different numbers of neutrons but are chemically identical because they have the same number of protons. Soddy was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921 for this discovery. An isotope containing more...
11:02
Methods to Discover Alternative Promoter Usage and Transcriptional Regulation of Murine Bcrp1
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Cited by 1 •
2016
With the murine ABC transporter Bcrp1 (Abcg2) as an example, in-silico protocols are presented to detect alternative promoter usage in genes expressed in mouse tissues, and to evaluate the functionality of the alternative promoters identified using reporter assays.
12:48
Measuring Cation Transport by Na,K- and H,K-ATPase in Xenopus Oocytes by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry: An Alternative to Radioisotope Assays
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Cited by 7 •
2013
We describe a method to quantify the activity of K+-countertransporting P-type ATPases by heterologous expression of the enzymes in Xenopus oocytes and measuring Rb+ or Li+ uptake into individual cells by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The method is a sensitive and safe alternative to radioisotope flux experiments facilitating complex kinetic studies.
07:06
Prediction of HIV-1 Coreceptor Usage (Tropism) by Sequence Analysis using a Genotypic Approach
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Cited by 16 •
2011
The prediction of the coreceptor usage of HIV-1 is required for the administration of a new class of antiretroviral drugs, i.e. coreceptor antagonists. It can be performed by sequence analysis of the env gene and subsequent interpretation through an internet based interpretation system (geno2pheno[coreceptor]).
10:22
MRM Microcoil Performance Calibration and Usage Demonstrated on Medicago truncatula Roots at 22 T
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Cited by 3 •
2021
A protocol to study biological tissue at high spatial resolution using ultra-high field magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) using microcoils is presented. Step-by-step instructions are provided for characterizing the microcoils. Finally, optimization of imaging is demonstrated on plant roots.
FAQs
A labeled atom can be incorporated into a biological molecule, allowing researchers to follow that molecule as it moves, changes, or accumulates. The isotope’s predictable decay produces detectable particles or energy, creating a measurable signal linked to the labeled substance. This connection helps reveal where biological materials go and how they participate in cellular processes.
The investigation depends on whether the labeled atom remains associated with the biological substance being studied and whether its emissions can be detected clearly. Tracking movement addresses location, while observing transformation or accumulation reveals changes in biological handling. These distinctions allow the same general approach to examine transport, metabolism, synthesis, or signaling.
These methods provide different ways to examine signals from labeled biological material. Autoradiography supports visualization, scintillation counting detects emitted energy for measurement, and radiotracer analysis follows the behavior of the labeled substance. Selecting among them depends on whether the study emphasizes where a signal appears, how much is detected, or how a substance changes and moves.
A typical study incorporates a labeled atom into the biological substance or system of interest, allows the relevant process to occur, and then detects the isotope’s emissions. Researchers analyze the resulting visualization or measurement to assess movement, transformation, or accumulation. Handling, shielding, and waste control must accompany each stage because ionizing radiation can damage tissue.
In biology, radiotracer approaches can clarify metabolic pathways, DNA and protein synthesis, membrane transport, and cell signaling. They can also support studies of nutrient cycling by showing how labeled materials move through biological systems. These applications connect molecular events with broader patterns of cellular activity and material movement.
Radioisotope usage can support medical imaging by making biological substances or processes detectable, and it contributes to drug development by helping investigators follow labeled compounds. The resulting information can show movement, transformation, or accumulation, giving research teams a way to examine how substances behave in biological systems before interpreting their broader effects.