[RASMB] XLI absorbance problem

Andrew Leech andrew.leech at york.ac.uk
Tue Feb 24 02:29:44 PST 2015


Hi Igor,

Those numbers (80 counts) look really low. I only recall seeing
such small numbers when we had a photomultiplier problem, but your
other scans rule that out. I think the light is not going through
the counterbalance holes and you are seeing stray light.

All the best,

Andrew


On 24/02/2015 08:01, Igor Perevyazko wrote:
> Dear Titus,
>
> Please find attached the radial intensity scan of the counter balance.
>
> Best regards
> Igor
>
> On Sun, Feb 22, 2015 at 9:09 PM, Titus M. Franzmann
> <titus.franzmann at outlook.com <mailto:titus.franzmann at outlook.com>> wrote:
>
>     Can you send a radial scan of the counter balance.
>
>     Sent from my Windows Phone
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     Von: Igor Perevyazko <mailto:i.perevyazko at gmail.com>
>     Gesendet: ‎22.‎02.‎2015 18:06
>     An: jphilo at mailway.com <mailto:jphilo at mailway.com>; rasmb at rasmb.org
>     <mailto:rasmb at rasmb.org>
>     Betreff: Re: [RASMB] XLI absorbance problem
>
>     Dear John,
>
>     Thank you very much for your reply.
>
>     You wrote:
>      > Is there any possibility the instrument is somehow reporting data
>     for the wrong cell? You have told the GUI that you are using a
>     4-hole rotor, not an 8-hole, correct? What was in the other cell
>     positions when you recorded these benzene data?
>
>     Yes,I was using 4-hole rotor and GUI was checked for it as well.
>     The last two experiments (* Radial intensity scan of KNO3 (0.7
>     g/dl), with 0.6OD at 302 <mailto:0.6OD at 302> nm ** Radial intensity scan
>     of Pyrene (2.5 microM), with ~1.2OD at 3 <mailto:0.6OD at 302>38 nm) were
>     conducted separately, with only one cell loaded. I don't think that
>     the instrument reporting data for the wrong cell. For some reason
>     the photomultiplier does not see the difference in
>     intensities/absorbance for samples which definitely absorb, unless a
>     real big concentration(that is how we can also proof  that the
>     instrument doesn't mismatched the position of a scanning cell) is used.
>     As I mention previously, the absorbance of samples was checked on
>     regular Spectrofotometer and on working XLI_2. We have as well
>     checked the monochromator of our XLI_1 on the working XLI_2 (please,
>     see the initial message). This makes us think, that monochromator is ok.
>
>     Best regards
>     Igor
>
>
>
>     On Sun, Feb 22, 2015 at 2:09 AM, John Philo <jphilo at mailway.com
>     <mailto:jphilo at mailway.com>> wrote:
>
>         Igor, I agree with Tom that possibly the wavelength is very
>         different from what is reported. For that reason it would
>         perhaps be better to test with something having very broad
>         absorbance rather than sharp peaks. On the other hand the
>         wavelength intensity scans you sent earlier seem to indicate the
>         wavelength is getting selected (i.e. the grating has not fallen
>         out) and not grossly out of calibration.____
>
>         __ __
>
>         Is there any possibility the instrument is somehow reporting
>         data for the wrong cell? You have told the GUI that you are
>         using a 4-hole rotor, not an 8-hole, correct? What was in the
>         other cell positions when you recorded these benzene data?____
>
>         __ __
>
>         John____
>
>         __ __
>
>         *From:*RASMB [mailto:rasmb-bounces at list.rasmb.org
>         <mailto:rasmb-bounces at list.rasmb.org>] *On Behalf Of *Igor
>         Perevyazko
>         *Sent:* Saturday, February 21, 2015 11:24 AM
>         *To:* Laue, Thomas
>
>
>         *Cc:* RASMB List
>         *Subject:* Re: [RASMB] XLI absorbance problem____
>
>         __ __
>
>         Dear Thomas,____
>
>         Thank you very much for your reply.____
>
>         Well, the same intensities points out the problem we are dealing
>         with (nonetheless, at much higher concentration (~ 30 mg/ml for
>         proteins, for example) we do observe some level of optical
>         densities ~0.1-0.2 OD). As I mentioned previously we have
>         checked our monochromator on another XLI and it was working
>         absolutely fine (please see the first email in the conversion
>         list, there is also information about the lamp intensity and its
>         comparison with the intensities of dye solution). The mismatched
>         position of menisci, you have mentioned, I believe  is simply
>         related to a slightly different filling volumes. ____
>
>         The long -pass filter was in 0 zero position. ____
>
>         __ __
>
>         Best regards____
>
>         Igor____
>
>         __ __
>
>         On Sat, Feb 21, 2015 at 9:18 PM, Laue, Thomas <Tom.Laue at unh.edu
>         <mailto:Tom.Laue at unh.edu>> wrote:____
>
>             Hi-
>             The sample and reference intensities are nearly identical.
>             There is no way they are 1.2 and 0.6 OD.
>             Is there any possibility that your monochromator is
>             malfunctioning? If the actual wavelength were significantly
>             different from what is being reported, you would get the
>             sort of scans you are seeing. The menisci are mismatched,
>             demonstrating that there is not a leak across the septum, so
>             a wrong wavelength makes some sense.
>             One last possibility- is the 400 nm long-pass filter in
>             (lever in the horizontal position)? That would block the
>             signal at the shorter wavelengths. The instrument would
>             respond by setting the gain as high as it could, leading to
>             a noisier signal (all dark current).
>             Tom____
>
>             ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>             *From:*RASMB [rasmb-bounces at list.rasmb.org
>             <mailto:rasmb-bounces at list.rasmb.org>] on behalf of Igor
>             Perevyazko [i.perevyazko at gmail.com
>             <mailto:i.perevyazko at gmail.com>]
>             *Sent:* Saturday, February 21, 2015 11:49 AM
>             *To:* Luitgard.Nagel-Steger at uni-duesseldorf.de
>             <mailto:Luitgard.Nagel-Steger at uni-duesseldorf.de>;
>             jphilo at mailway.com <mailto:jphilo at mailway.com>
>             *Cc:* RASMB List
>             *Subject:* Re: [RASMB] XLI absorbance problem____
>
>             Dear John, Luitgard____
>
>             Attached you can find radial intensity scans with an optical
>             density of ~0.6 OD (KNO3, с = 0.07 dl/g, l = 302 nm) and
>             ~1.2 OD (pyrene dye, 2.5micrM, l = 338 nm). I am using
>             4-hole rotor. ____
>
>             Regarding Luitgards points: Concerning benzene, this is
>             correct, but for our system,  previous experiments with such
>             solvent /polymer combination resulted in a satisfactory
>             optical densities. The large concentration of BSA in this
>             case was chosen, as a model/test system to represent the
>             problem - that even at such a high BSA content the optical
>             density is at zero level.____
>
>             Looking forward to any of your suggestions.____
>
>             __ __
>
>             Best regards____
>
>             Igor____
>
>             __ __
>
>             On Fri, Feb 20, 2015 at 9:12 PM, Luitgard Nagel-Steger
>             <Luitgard.Nagel-Steger at uni-duesseldorf.de
>             <mailto:Luitgard.Nagel-Steger at uni-duesseldorf.de>> wrote:____
>
>                 Dear Igor,
>
>                 I am wondering whether benzene is a good choice of a
>                 solvent if your pyrene dye is expected to absorb in the
>                 range between 250 and 350 nm (shown in the attached
>                 graph 1), since it absorbs itself rather strongly in the
>                 UV range.
>
>                 Also 4 mg/ml of BSA are a pretty large amount of protein
>                 for the optics in the AUC. Assuming you are using
>                 standard cells with 1.2 cm optical path length this
>                 should give an absorbance at 280 nm of 4 OD. The upper
>                 limit is at about 1 OD.
>
>                 Best regards,
>
>                 Luitgard
>
>                 Am 20.02.2015 um 14:20 schrieb Igor Perevyazko:____
>
>                     Dear RASMB members,
>
>                     We are having a problem with absorbance optics on
>                     XLI centrifuge(XLI_1
>                     on the images attached). Hopefully you can suggest
>                     something that will
>                     help. The problem is that optical density of any
>                     samples (which
>                     definitely absorb, including for example BSA (c =
>                     4mg/mL) or pyrene dye
>                     (c = 10µM )) recorded by the AUC is within the zero
>                     level.
>                     Nevertheless, at much higher concentrations
>                     (approximately 10 -20 times
>                     higher) the optical density reaches some level of
>                     absorbance (~0.1-0.2
>                     OD). The same solutions checked by normal UV-Vis
>                     spectrophotometer and
>                     on another XLI centrifuge (XLI_2), have adequate
>                     values of the
>                     absorbance level. We have as well checked our
>                     monochromator   on  XLI_2
>                     and it was working ok. Recorded lamp intensities
>                     (air to air) at 230 nm
>                     and 530 nm are at the normal level. If we perform
>                     the absorbance scan of
>                     a sample (for example Pyrene dye at c = 10µM)  in
>                     the intensity mode, we
>                     received the same level of intensities for both
>                     reference and sample
>                     chamber! The corresponding comparison of the
>                     intensities is shown on the
>                     image attached. Any of your suggestions about the
>                     possible problem
>                     and/or the solution will be highly appreciated.
>
>
>                     Best regards
>
>                     Igor Perevyazko
>
>
>                     PhD Igor Perevyazko
>                     Physics Department, Polymer Physics
>                     St.Petersburg State University
>                     Ul. Ulyanovskaya 1, Petrodvorets
>                     St.Petersburg, Russia, 198504
>                     Tel.: (812)4284382
>                     Fax.: (812)4287240
>
>
>                     ____
>
>                     _______________________________________________
>                     RASMB mailing list
>                     RASMB at list.rasmb.org <mailto:RASMB at list.rasmb.org>
>                     http://list.rasmb.org/listinfo.cgi/rasmb-rasmb.org____
>
>                 _______________________________________________
>                 RASMB mailing list
>                 RASMB at list.rasmb.org <mailto:RASMB at list.rasmb.org>
>                 http://list.rasmb.org/listinfo.cgi/rasmb-rasmb.org____
>
>             __ __
>
>         __ __
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> RASMB mailing list
> RASMB at list.rasmb.org
> http://list.rasmb.org/listinfo.cgi/rasmb-rasmb.org
>

-- 
Dr Andrew Leech                   *  Laboratory Head
Technology Facility               *  Molecular Interactions Laboratory
Department of Biology (Area 15)   *  Tel   : +44 (0)1904 328723
University of York                *  Fax   : +44 (0)1904 328804
Wentworth Way,  York  YO10 5DD    *  Email : andrew.leech at york.ac.uk
EMAIL DISCLAIMER: http://www.york.ac.uk/docs/disclaimer/email.htm


More information about the RASMB mailing list