Application of Fluorescence in Life Sciences for Basic Research and Medical Diagnostics

This chapter summarizes the use of fluorescence for either diagnostic or basic research in modern life sciences. While the first section concentrates on microscopic applications for, e.g., monitoring of living cells, the second one focuses on analytical aspects, i.e., detection and quantitation of nucleic acids or proteins for research or diagnostic purposes. The state-of-the-art microscopic technologies (CLSM, TIRF, TPFM, STED) and analytical methods (RT-PCR, next-gen sequencing, multiplexing, microarrays) are discussed.