Rob,

This isn't my project, but I was asked to checked into the possibility of
such a stain.

The application is to image vaginal bacterial flora in-vivo.  A minimally
invasive confocal microscope, about 1mm in diameter, would be used to image
the bacteria.  Yes, it does exist, I've seen it, and it works.

The problem (among others) now seems to be differentiation of the bacterial
cells from the epithelial tissue.  When I left the CBE a few years ago, this
group was playing around with conjugating the vitamin B12 to various
bacterial cell membrane targets.

I was curious if the listserve had any similar needs/experiences.

-Guy

Guy Cook
President
Bacterin
910 Technology Blvd.
P.O. Box 6743
Bozeman, MT 59715
406-582-8184
Fax 406-586-0396
http://www.bacterin.com
ftp.bacterin.com




> -----Original Message-----
> From: Confocal Microscopy List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Robert Palmer
> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 5:33 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Vital Dyes
>
>
> I suppose this is a naive question and one that, if you were to answer it,
> would require that I be shot afterwards, but here goes - why is it so
> critical that the dye NOT stain eukaryotic cells?  I wasn't aware of
> significant problems distinguishing eukaryotic cells from bacterial cells.
>
> >Guy,
> >
> >This is the holy grail, as far as I'm concerned.  I've been
> avidly looking for
> >such a dye for 3 years.  If you get any useful responses
> offline, please copy
> >me!  Otherwise, I have been doing a lot of  in-house testing of
> dyes myself.
> >Only partially promising results so far, but even if I get a
> hit, I have to go
> >through the process of seeing whether 3M has intellectual property issues
> >before I can make it public knowledge.  I'm hoping to reach some kind of
> >conclusion (or give up) by late Spring so I'll let you know.
> >
> >Karen
> >
> >
> >Guy Cook wrote:
> >
> >> Does anyone know of a vital or non-toxic stain that will bind
> to both Gram
> >> positive and Gram negative bacteria without binding to
> eukaryotic cells?
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance.
> >>
> >> -Guy
> >>
> >> Guy Cook
> >> President
> >> Bacterin
> >> 910 Technology Blvd.
> >> P.O. Box 6743
> >> Bozeman, MT 59715
> >> 406-582-8184
> >> Fax 406-586-0396
> >> http://www.bacterin.com
> >> ftp.bacterin.com
> >
> >--
> >Karen S. Zaruba  [log in to unmask]
> >3M Company, St. Paul, MN
>
> NOTE NEW PHONE NUMBER WITH VOICE MAIL (HOORAY!!!)
> Robert J. Palmer Jr., Ph.D.
> Natl Inst Dental Craniofacial Res - Natl Insts Health
> Oral Infection and Immunity Branch
> Bldg 30, Room 308
> 30 Convent Drive
> Bethesda MD 20892
> ph 301-594-0025
> fax 301-402-0396
>