Orange potion
Orange potions magically heal characters in many role-playing games. This one’s medical applications are less direct but also less fictional. Jon Grimm of the Lavis Lab at Janelia Research Campus makes fluorescent dyes that can help scientists map the distribution and flow of individual molecules in living cells. Grimm shot this video while purifying a derivative of a dye called Janelia Fluor 549 (a bis(azetidinyl)rhodamine compound). Here he is removing solvent from a solution of the molecule while illuminating it with ultraviolet light. The balls floating around the spinning flask slow evaporation of the hot-water bath used to speed up solvent removal.
Credit: Jon Grimm (@jonathangrimm)
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