zrimec delayed fluorescence and luminescence

8/6/2019 Zrimec Delayed Fluorescence and Luminescence

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Delayed Fluorescence andLuminescence: A Versatile Tool

for Risk Assessment andMonitoring in Sustainable

DevelopmentAlexis Zrimec 1, Luka Drinovec 1, and

Maja Berden Zrimec 2

International Brokerage Event and Scientific Conference

"Sustainable Land Management and Vulnerable Ecosystems"15-17 January 2003, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA

1 Institute of Physical Biology, Slovenia2 Institute Bion, Slovenia

Keywords: light emission, stress detection, ecotoxicology, genotoxicity, nondestructive bioassays


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The Problem


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it is necessary to develop nondestructive,objective, and quantitative, stress and quality

indicators.


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The methods used range from purely physico-chemical measurements to biological assays and

ecological surveys


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ecological surveys


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ecological surveys


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ecological surveys


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There is a need to develop methods which would

share the sensitivity and quantitative nature of physico-chemical methods with the relevance of

biological methods and at the same time beversatile enough to be used in many areas of

environmental research


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Possible Solution

Delayed Fluorescence

and Luminescence


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Delayed fluorescence is the long-lived lightemission from previously illuminated biological

material, whereas luminescence is spontaneous,nonstimulated, ultra-weak light emission from living

cells (several orders of magnitude weaker thandelayed fluorescence).


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Delayed fluorescence is the long-lived lightemission from previously illuminated biological

material, whereas luminescence is spontaneous,nonstimulated, ultra-weak light emission from living

cells (several orders of magnitude weaker thandelayed fluorescence).


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Delayed fluorescence of chlorophyll is correlatedwith chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity,plant stress, crop quality, and taxonomic group


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Delayed fluorescence of chlorophyll is correlatedwith chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity,

plant stress, crop quality, and taxonomic group


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Delayed fluorescence can be used as anecotoxicological stress indicator, a physiologicalindicator of plant viability, a monitoring tool for

phytoplankton succession, density, composition andactivity


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Delayed fluorescence of DNA can be used as agenotoxicity test, because the fluorescence signalcorrelates with stress to nuclear DNA - which can

be induced by genotoxic substances


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Luminescence measurements from living cells arecorrelated with the elevated reactive oxygen

species concentrations and the cell cycle.Its uses can be in nondestructive detection of plantviral infections (or other stresses), growth rates and

tumors.


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The advantage of delayed fluorescence as well asluminescence measurements is the possibility of field measurements of intact organisms in situ as

well as laboratory assays and studies.


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The Innovation


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There are numerous publications reporting the useof delayed fluorescence or luminescence for

addressing different issues in physiology, ecology,agronomy and medicine. However, the

methodology is still not standardised, nor thereexists a versatile device for routine measurements.


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There are numerous publications reporting the useof delayed fluorescence or luminescence for

addressing different issues in physiology, ecology,agronomy and medicine. However, the

methodology is still not standardised, nor thereexists a versatile device for routine measurements.


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Our proposal is to review all the uses of delayed

fluorescence and luminescence in order to design aversatile tool for risk assessment and monitoring

and to design and construct the necessary

measuring equipment. The device based on light-emission detection from cells, tissues and

organisms in the field or in the laboratory could thenbe used for a wide spectrum of environmental

studies.


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studies.


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studies.


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Our Contribution


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Our main scientific interest is in studying light

phenomena in living matter. For that purpose wedesigned and constructed a system for measuringweak photon emission from cells, tissues or whole

organisms.


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Our main scientific interest is in studying light

phenomena in living matter. For that purpose wedesigned and constructed a system for measuringweak photon emission from cells, tissues or whole

organisms.

motor

high voltage

photon countingunit

PMT

cooling systemshutter

sample

thermostat

light

lightguide

shutterp

filter weel

personalcomputer


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We apply the system for measuring delayed

fluorescence of algae and higher plants in order todetect stress and measure some parameters of photosynthesis.

W h d ig d id bi t t f


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We have designed a rapid biotest for ecotoxicological screening of environmental

contamination using the delayed fluorescence of Lemna minor and (a marine alga) Skeletonemacostatum . The methodology will also be used in

assessing the quality of soil, water, vegetation andcrops for ecofarming or precision farming.

We have designed a rapid biotest for


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We have designed a rapid biotest for ecotoxicological screening of environmental

contamination using the delayed fluorescence of Lemna minor and (a marine alga) Skeletonemacostatum . The methodology will also be used in

assessing the quality of soil, water, vegetation andcrops for ecofarming or precision farming.

W f d l d d fl


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We perform delayed and prompt fluorescencemeasurements of marine algae to set up a systemfor monitoring the toxic algal populations and algal

blooms

Expected Contribution of the


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Expected Contribution of the

Partners joint research and development of the

methodologies in the different fields of useand/or development of the necessaryinstrumentation

manufacturing and/or marketing of theproposed new technology


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Thank You

zrimec delayed fluorescence and luminescence

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