I would like to track in real time the growth of bacteria using fluorescent miscoscopy. I remember there was at least one plasmid that could be used: transfected bacteria would emit a red or green fluorescent signal that could be used to track their growth and position.
Alas, I don't remember what was the name of these plasmids and I can't find a reference in the literature.
Does somebody know these kind of plasmids for live tracking of bacteria? Where can I buy them?
Thank you.
What bacterial species are you working with? There's many GFP/RFP plasmids out there, but which ones you use depend on what species you're talking about. Plasmid replication, promoter recognition and codon usage is generally restricted by taxonomy.
Generally, my favorite place to obtain plasmids is AddGene.org
Escherichia coli at the moment. Which ones would you reccomend? Thanks
Assuming that your plasmids induce the expression of a fluorescent protein, you can try plating the cells into a 96-well black clear bottom plate. Incubate the bacteria at the appropriate temperature, read kinetically, and set the fluorescent plate reader to measure excitation and emission wavelengths of a fluorescent protein.
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