Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Fluorescence and Phosphorescence: Instrumentation01:25

Fluorescence and Phosphorescence: Instrumentation

560
Fluorometers and spectrofluorometers are two types of instruments used for measuring molecular fluorescence. These instruments differ in how they select excitation and emission wavelengths and the type of light sources they utilize. Fluorometers use absorption interference filters to choose excitation and emission wavelengths. The excitation source in a fluorometer is typically a low-pressure mercury vapor lamp that emits intense lines distributed throughout the ultraviolet and visible regions.
560
Protein Dynamics in Living Cells01:19

Protein Dynamics in Living Cells

2.1K
Different fluorescence-based techniques are used to study the protein dynamics in living cells. These techniques include FRAP, FRET, and PET.
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...
2.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Mapping Optical Chirality with Single Fluorescent Molecules.

Nano letters·2026
Same author

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Photocleavable Fluorescent Dye Dyad for Diffusion Imaging.

Chemical & biomedical imaging·2025
Same author

Nanosized core-shell bio-hybrid microgels and their internal structure.

Nanoscale·2025
Same author

Nanoscopic visualization of microgel-immobilized cytochrome P450 enzymes and their local activity.

Nanoscale·2024
Same author

Modeling the Temperature-Dependent Size Change of Polydisperse Nano-objects using a Deep Generative Model.

Nano letters·2024
Same author

Local Water Content in Polymer Gels Measured with Super-Resolved Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Methods for the Self-integration of Megamolecular Biopolymers on the Drying Air-LC Interface
07:06

Methods for the Self-integration of Megamolecular Biopolymers on the Drying Air-LC Interface

Published on: April 7, 2017

6.0K

Moisture changes inside hydrogel particles during their drying process investigated with fluorescence lifetime

Sankar Jana1, Dominik Wöll1

  • 1Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany. woell@pc.rwth-aachen.de.

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|August 28, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a method to measure water content in poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels using fluorescence lifetime microscopy. This technique reveals how microgel moisture changes during drying and at equilibrium, offering insights into hydrogel properties.

More Related Videos

Fluorescence detection methods for microfluidic droplet platforms
14:16

Fluorescence detection methods for microfluidic droplet platforms

Published on: December 10, 2011

22.2K
Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Molecular Rotors in Living Cells
09:45

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Molecular Rotors in Living Cells

Published on: February 9, 2012

25.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Methods for the Self-integration of Megamolecular Biopolymers on the Drying Air-LC Interface
07:06

Methods for the Self-integration of Megamolecular Biopolymers on the Drying Air-LC Interface

Published on: April 7, 2017

6.0K
Fluorescence detection methods for microfluidic droplet platforms
14:16

Fluorescence detection methods for microfluidic droplet platforms

Published on: December 10, 2011

22.2K
Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Molecular Rotors in Living Cells
09:45

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Molecular Rotors in Living Cells

Published on: February 9, 2012

25.2K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science
  • Materials Science
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Hydrogel and microgel properties are critically dependent on their water content.
  • Previous methods for accessing local water content in microgels were limited.
  • Understanding water dynamics is crucial for tailoring hydrogel performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the local water content in poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels during drying.
  • To investigate the equilibrium moisture of microgels at varying ambient humidity levels.
  • To demonstrate the utility of fluorescence lifetime microscopy for in situ hydrogel analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Covalently attaching the ATTO 655 dye to PNIPAM microgels.
  • Utilizing fluorescence lifetime microscopy to measure dye emission quenching by water.
  • Correlating fluorescence lifetime with local water concentration.
  • Monitoring microgel water content during spin-coating, reswelling, and drying processes.

Main Results:

  • PNIPAM microgels require several hours of drying under ambient conditions to reach equilibrium moisture.
  • Spin-coating does not result in completely dry microgels.
  • The method accurately determines equilibrium moisture content at different relative humidities.
  • Fluorescence lifetime provides a direct measure of local water concentration.

Conclusions:

  • Fluorescence lifetime microscopy offers a powerful tool for detailed investigation of hydrogel moisture.
  • The developed method enables straightforward in situ and operando measurements of hydrogel systems.
  • This technique facilitates a deeper understanding of hydrogel behavior and water-environment interactions.