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This CD-ROM edition of our Handbook is formatted using Web-based standards — to benefit from all of its features you will need a Java-enabled browser. If you are connected to the Internet, you may choose to follow links from this CD-ROM to http://www.probes.com and other Web sites. Such links appear in most browsers as red, underlined text. However, an Internet connection is not required to use this CD-ROM.
The Handbook is divided into 24 chapters, each discussing a product group with common properties or applications. Each chapter is subdivided into sections, grouping products by more narrowly defined properties or applications. If a product has multiple applications, it may appear in more than one location. For help navigating the contents of this CD-ROM, refer to Tools.
The text in each section describes product applications and properties. Where possible, we have cited the literature for particular applications. For some products, we have speculated on possible applications. Although we believe these speculations are reliable, you should consult the original literature for experimental details.
Product lists are available for each section. These lists contain the catalog numbers, names and unit sizes of the products discussed in the section. Products are arranged in alphabetical order by name.
Most sections of the Handbook include a table of technical data, listing the chemical and spectroscopic properties of products described in the section. See Definitions of Data Table Contents for an explanation of data table contents.
Each product has its own Product Page on this CD-ROM. The Product Page lists the catalog number, name and unit size of the product. Where applicable, Product Pages contain links to bibliographies, relevant Handbook sections, Material Safety Data Sheets, Product Information Sheets and structures.
Product Information Sheets, accessible from Product Pages, are available for many of our products. They contain comprehensive information about applications and storage conditions and provide detailed protocols for particular applications. A complete list of Product Information Sheets can be accessed from the Table of Contents.
A list of references describing the applications for a particular product can be obtained from its Product Page. Our fully searchable bibliography has also been included on this CD-ROM. See Search Tips for more information about how to search the bibliography. We also provide separate extensive bibliographies for dextran (D-8998) and microsphere (M-8997) products.
This CD-ROM includes products released by Molecular Probes before April 1, 2002. Additional products and search capabilities are available at our Web site (http://www.probes.com). All information, including price and availability, is subject to change without notice.
To search for a product, choose one of three search interfaces from the Quick Find Menu or the Table of Contents: Basic Interface, Panel Interface or Frame Interface. Both panel and frame interfaces require a browser that supports JavaScript. The frame interface requires other capabilities from your browser and will not work for all browsers. Find the interface that works best for you — once you have selected an interface you can search one of four document collections: 'Handbook', 'Products', 'Product Sheets' or 'Bibliography'.
Search 'Handbook' to get a list of pages that discuss the product or application. Search 'Products' by name or number to get a list of Product Pages. Search 'Product Sheets' to get a list of Product Information Sheets that discuss the product or application. Search 'Bibliography' to get a list of references that contain links to relevant Product Pages.
If you know the full or partial name, or catalog number of the product you want: search 'Products'; type in one or more words or partial words (partial words must be followed by an asterisk) that the name contains, or the catalog number of the product (only the numbers following the hyphen in the catalog number are required). The search will return a list of the products matching your query.
If you do not know the name of the product you want: select search 'Handbook', 'Product Sheets' or 'Bibliography'; type in one or more words that target the applications in which you are interested. The search will return a list of pages or references that match your query. You may also browse the Table of Contents for the chapter or section title that most closely relates to your application. Catalog numbers within section text are linked directly to their Product Pages.
If you still cannot find the product that you are looking for or are seeking advice on choosing a product: please contact our Technical Assistance Department.
This section describes the tools for navigating the content of this CD-ROM. These tools include the Quick Find Menu and the Search Interfaces.
The Quick Find Menu is located at the top of each page, to the right of the Handbook of Fluorescent Probes and Research Products banner. This menu allows you to easily jump to the major content areas of the CD-ROM.
 | Figure. The Quick Find Menu in its open state. Select a menu item to jump to a major content area of the Handbook CD-ROM. |
Search interfaces (technology provided by JObjects, http://www.jobjects.com) are available to help you quickly find what you are looking for on the Handbook CD-ROM. If you do not have a Java-capable browser, you will need to install one in order to use the search interfaces. Please refer to the Browsers section of this page for more information.
Three search interfaces are accessible from the Quick Find Menu and the Table of Contents: Basic Interface, Panel Interface or Frame Interface. Both panel and frame interfaces require a browser that supports JavaScript. The frame interface requires other capabilities from your browser and will not work for all browsers. Find the interface that works best for you — once you have selected an interface you can search one of four document collections: 'Handbook', 'Products', 'Product Sheets' or 'Bibliography'.
 | Figure. An example search. Double-clicking on a line in the results window will take you to the page. |
Searches are not case sensitive. You may enter more than one word or partial word (e.g., 'alexa fluor'). If you are searching for a partial word, use an asterisk as a wild card. For example, searching for 'phall*' will give results that include both 'phallacidin' and 'phalloidin'. Searching for 'tex* dex*' gives all of our Texas Red dextran conjugates. With the exception of Product name searches, you always need to specify the first part of the word. For instance, in a search of Handbook text, 'rhoda*' will return results on 'rhodamine' but not on 'tetramethylrhodamine'. In all cases, the applet supports using an asterisk as a wild card only when it is at the end of the (partial) word.
To search either of the document collections:
1. Enter your search term or query in the text box. For example, a search of the Handbook text for 'alexa fluor' will read on-screen as "Search in: Handbook for: alexa fluor".
2. Click the 'Search' button.
3. The applet displays 'Searching...' in the message area. If any hits are found, the applet displays the title of the document(s) in the result list, up to the maximum number in the 'Show best' field.
4. To open a document in the result list, double-click its title. (If you have checked the 'show in new window' box, the document will be opened in a new browser window).
5. Once the document is open, use your browser's 'Find' function to locate the term(s) on the page.
You can enter a Boolean expression, using AND, OR, NOT and NEAR operators. Use AND to specify two or more terms that must occur in the document (e.g., searching Handbook text for 'apoptosis AND chromatin' will return a list of sections discussing the chromatin changes in apoptotic cells). Use OR to specify two or more terms, any of which occur in the document (e.g., 'collagen* OR gelatin*'). Use NOT to find documents that do not contain the expression (e.g., 'fluospheres NOT transfluospheres'). Multiple terms automatically make an AND expression. You can also use parentheses in Boolean expressions. For example, you might narrow a search of product names with a nested query such as '(Alexa OR Oregon) AND 488'.
To use the search functionality built into this CD-ROM, you will need a Java-enabled browser (for example, Netscape Navigator 4.0 or greater, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or greater). If your current browser is not Java-capable, you may choose to upgrade to a more recent version. Check Netscape's Web site or Microsoft's Web site for availability.
This CD-ROM uses JavaScript in the Quick Find Menu and a few other places. If you experience JavaScript-related error messages, there are a couple of things you can do to correct the problem. One approach is to upgrade to a more recent version of your browser. The JavaScript we use is compatible with Netscape Navigator 4.0 and greater and with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and greater. Please refer to the Browsers section of this page for more information. If you do not wish to upgrade your browser, try turning off JavaScript (find the relevant entry under your browser's 'Preferences' or 'Options'). Although you will lose some of the extra features of our interface, you will not lose the ability to effectively use the Handbook.
Much of this CD-ROM's content is formatted using Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). To read these pages, you will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader plug-in or helper application. We have included installers for Acrobat Reader for both Apple MacOS and Microsoft Windows in the INSTALL folder of this CD-ROM. Please refer to the README.TXT file in the INSTALL folder for installation instructions. If you use a different operating system, check Adobe's Web site for availability.
