Study of single-molecule dynamics and reactions with classic light microscopy.

Single-molecule studies in the life sciences often deal with observation or spectroscopy. Studies of reactions are rare, and the light microscope has been used for such experiments only occasionally. In an experimental environment, for example, as is required for most nearfield scanning or electron microscopies, it is difficult to study single-molecule reactions of biological relevance.

Comet assay detects cold repair of UV-A damages in a human B-lymphoblast cell line.

During DNA repair studies, cells are occasionally kept on ice in order to suppress DNA repair. In the present studies cultivated human NC37 B-lymphoblasts were damaged by UV-A irradiation (365 nm) and DNA single strand breaks were detected at the single cell level with the alkaline comet assay in the temperature range from 4 degrees C to 44 degrees C. Single cell studies, in contrast to bulk experiments, allow to identify apoptotic or necrotic cells, which can be omitted for data analysis.

[150 years of medical mycology].

A short survey concerning the development of the medical mycology is presented covering the last 150 years (1839-1989). According to the interpretation of most of the distinguished authors, the year of Schönlein's publication, i.e.

[150 years medical mycology since Johann Lucas Schönlein].

In 1839 Johann Lucas Schönlein discovered fungal elements within the lesions of favus of man. So it was Schönlein, who for the first time recognized the fungal nature of a disease of humans. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the publication of Schönlein's observations a report is given on the history and development of medical mycology in Europe and especially in Germany.