Erik A. Rodriguez
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erin-rod.bsky.social
Erik A. Rodriguez
@erin-rod.bsky.social
170 followers 270 following 59 posts
I pursue research to create new fluorescent proteins, biosensors, & human imaging probes. #FluorescenceFriday

See more at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Focal_Focus
X: https://x.com/erin_rod_phd
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erin-rod.bsky.social
In these times filled with anxiety, let this glow-in-the-dark fidget spinner soothe you. ߷😌

A UV laser pointer produced phosphorescence.

#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #Phosphorescence
November 28, 2025 at 3:14 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🌞🍂❄️🌸 Behold, the four seasons!🌞🍂❄️🌸
🖌️🎨🪨I painted black rocks with fluorescent paint. UV light produced fluorescence.🖌️🎨🪨
#FluorescenceFriday #RockArt #SciArt
November 21, 2025 at 2:10 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🐴Look at that horse!🐴
I painted the horse's face with E. coli expressing the fluorescent protein mCherry. 🧬🦠🧫🎠
#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #Bacteria #Microbiology #AgarArt #SciComm
November 14, 2025 at 1:45 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🌀🌪️A fluorescent cyclone in a beaker!🌪️🌀
Fluorescein fluorescence visualized the stirred liquid.
#FluorescenceFriday #RealTimeChem #Chemistry #SciArt #SciComm
November 7, 2025 at 2:07 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🎃Behold FrankenPumpkin!🎃
I filled a flat-bottom flask with chlorophyll extracted from algae.🦠 UV light produced the red fluorescence. Jordan Tanen drew the pumpkin face.🖊️
#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #SciComm #RealTimeChem #ChemArt #Halloween2025 #Halloween
October 31, 2025 at 1:24 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🎃A fluorescent turmeric jack-o'-lantern!🎃
I filled a flat-bottom flask with turmeric extract. Jordan Tanen drew the face.🖊️ #FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #SciComm #RealTimeChem #ChemArt
October 24, 2025 at 1:00 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🎃Welcome to my fluorescent pumpkin patch!🎃
Jack-O-Lanterns are pipette tips filled with 😈 lucifer yellow, fluorescein, or rhodamine 101.🎃
🌝 #FluorescenceFriday #PipetteArt #SciArt #ChemArt #SciComm #HappyHalloween #Halloween 🎃
October 17, 2025 at 12:38 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🎃💀Boys & girls of every age. Wouldn't you like to see something strange?💀🎃
🖌️🎨I painted Jack Skellington with E. coli expressing the small Ultra-Red Fluorescent Protein (smURFP).🧬🦠🧫
#TheNightmareBeforeChristmas #JackSkellington #SciArt #AgarArt #SciComm
October 10, 2025 at 1:21 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
👁️An eye for dye!👁️
Nadine Lo painted the image using malachite green, fluorescein, & sulforhodamine B. 🥽🧪⚗️🖌️🎨
#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #SciComm #ChemArt #SciComm #HappyHalloween #Halloween
October 3, 2025 at 12:38 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
Phosphorescent sand excited by a UV laser pointer. Phosphorescence is from zinc sulfide (ZnS). Phosphorescence lasts longer than fluorescence.

#FluorescenceFriday #Phosphorescence
September 26, 2025 at 1:15 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
💜💚🧡An optics demonstration!💚💜🧡
I filled bottles with fluorescein & sulforhodamine B. A UV laser pointer excites the dyes to fluoresce.

#FluorescenceFriday #Optics #Photonics #Laser
September 19, 2025 at 12:57 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
💧◀️💧Diffusion in reverse!💧◀️💧
I added fluorescein & rhodamine B to a water bath under UV illumination.
#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #SciComm #RealTimeChem #Chemistry #Chemtwitter
September 12, 2025 at 1:15 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🌊🧪Look at this Periodic Table beach towel!🧪🌊

😺⚗️Thank you, ThermoFisher Aspire Program!⚗️😺

#AspireMemberProgram #SciArt #SciComm #RealTimeChem #ChemArt #Chemistry #ChemTwitter
September 6, 2025 at 3:58 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🔬🦠Bacterial chemotaxis!🦠🔬
Students imaged bacteria expressing the small Ultra-Red Fluorescent Protein (smURFP) to follow attraction to sugars & repulsion to glycine.🍬
#FluorescenceFriday #Microbiology #Chemotaxis #FluorescentProtein #SciComm
September 5, 2025 at 1:32 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🌊The beautiful fluorescence of a sea anemone!🌊

#FluorescenceFriday #FluorescentProtein #Coral #Sea #Ocean
August 29, 2025 at 1:43 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
Today, I would like to honor the memory of Roger Y. Tsien, who died on August 24, 2016. His legacy lives with all who use his technologies, including calcium sensors, fluorescent proteins, the acetoxymethyl (AM) ester, & many more! #FluorescenceFriday
www.nature.com/articles/nme...
August 22, 2025 at 1:17 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
✨🌟The 3D printed structure of Discosoma red fluorescent protein (DsRed)!🌟✨
The red chromophore is fluorescent due to rigidification by the white beta-barrel.
#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #FluorescentProtein
August 15, 2025 at 1:25 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
😻Happy International Cat Day! 😻
I painted the cat with E. coli expressing the fluorescent protein mTangerine. 🧬🦠🧫🐈🖌️🎨
#InternationalCatDay #SciArt #Bacteria #Microbiology #AgarArt #SciComm
August 8, 2025 at 1:03 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🔬☀️smURFP is extremely photostable!☀️🔬
A comparison of mEGFP & smURFP photostability when fused to lifeact to image F-actin for 7 min on the Nikon SoRa.
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
doi.org/10.1038/nmet...
#FluorescenceFriday #Microscopy #SuperResolution @healthcare.nikon.com
August 1, 2025 at 2:49 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🌪️🌀Fluorescence visualization of stirring!🌀🌪️
I added fluorescein to the water with a stir bar.
#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #RealTimeChem #SciComm #Chemistry
July 25, 2025 at 1:07 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
A💲💵Australian dollars are fluorescent!💵A💲
A bird, serial number, & date were printed with fluorescent ink & visualized with UV light.
#FluorescenceFriday #SciComm #SciArt
July 18, 2025 at 1:32 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🦠🧬🔬Bacterial aggregate in Potomac River water!🦠🧬🔬
DNA staining imaged the fluorescence of ~1,600 bacteria! The diameter is 1,000 um. Aggregates allow bacteria to survive chemical, physical, & biological stress.
#FluorescenceFriday #Microscope #Microbiology #Bacteria
July 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🎇🧨🎆Waterworks for the 4th of July!🎆🧨🎇
Fluorescein in water & rhodamine B in isopropanol were dropped into water to visualize miscibility & diffusion.
#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #SciComm #Chemistry #4thofjuly #4thofJuly2025
July 4, 2025 at 12:58 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🎉🎇Cicadas are fluorescent!🎇🎉
I visualized cicada fluorescence with green & UV light.
#FluorescenceFriday #SciArt #SciComm #BioArt #Insects #Bugs #Cicadas
June 27, 2025 at 1:35 PM
erin-rod.bsky.social
🍸I like my martini sublimed, not stirred.🍸
Fluorescein, sulforhodamine B, & dry ice.
🎂🥂🎉Cheers, it's my Birthday!!! 🎉🥂🎂
#FluorescenceFriday #RealTimeChem #SciArt
June 20, 2025 at 2:12 PM