Fluorescent Minerals Explained

Kevin McCarthy, Chief Technology Officer at Dover Motion, explains the fascinating (and colorful!) connection between fluorescence in minerals and fluorescence microscopy and how this concept is used in live-saving life science and diagnostics applications.
• Introduction
• Show & Tell: Kevin’s Mineral Collection
• Fluorescence in Minerals Explained
• Fluorescence Microscopy
• Real World Application: DNA Sequencing
Fluorescence in minerals occurs when ultraviolet light is directed at it causing the electrons in the mineral to get excited causing them to fluoresce.
The emission of light through the fluorescence process is nearly simultaneous with the absorption of the excitation light due to a relatively short time delay between photon absorption and emission, typically ranging less than a microsecond in duration. When emission persists longer after the excitation light has been extinguished, the phenomenon is referred to as phosphorescence.
Fluorescence microscopy is an optical imaging technique which allows the excitation of fluorophores and subsequent detection of the fluorescence signal to visualize biological samples. In this technique, a fluorescent dye or protein is used to label a specific molecule or structure in the sample, and then illuminated with light of a specific wavelength. The labeled molecule or structure absorbs the light and re-emits it at a longer wavelength, which can be visualized using a specialized microscope.
Modern biomedical, life science and diagnostic instruments rely on automated digital fluorescence microscope technologies to study the structure and function of cells, tissues, and organs. It allows researchers to visualize specific molecules, track their movement, and observe interactions between different molecules within a living cell. Fluorescence microscopy is also used in medical diagnostics to detect and monitor diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases.
DNA sequencers, cell imaging instruments, and digital pathology scanners are just a few of the many applications for digital fluorescence microscopes.