A Practical Guide to the Study of Calcium in Living Cells

Book excerpt: A Practical Guide to the Study of Calcium in Living Cells describes popular techniques along with helpful do's and don't's and computer programs. The volume enables investigators to evaluate confocal images, use the latest dyes, and design Calcium buffers appropriate to their research needs. This book is designed for laboratory use by graduate students, technicians, and researchers in many disciplines, ranging from molecular to cellular levels of investigation. - Describes techniques for detection of [Ca2+]I: Ca2+ - sensitive microelectrodes - Fluorescent dyes - Luminescent proteins - Includes techniques for perturbing intracellular Ca2+ - Covers detailed methodology plus problems and pitfalls of each technique - Contains a practical guide to preparing Ca2+ buffers with an easy-to-use computer program - Color plates illustrate techniques such as - Confocal ratio-imaging - Use of aequorin