We have found that the inexpensive LED illuminator system used in our teaching lab microscopes works fine for imaging cells in aggregates and slugs.  I would like to set up a new experiment for my course in which we image aggregation and later development using cell-type specific fluorescent protein probes to show the patterning of the slugs and fruiting bodies.  I intend to see if we can then do some slug surgery/mixing experiments to show sorting (mix the slug with a needle to start).  We can do this by mixing non-cell type specific labeled cells, but I would also like to use cell-type specific labels.   In Dictybase, I have found ecmA-GFP and cotB-GFP, but I haven't found any cell type specific red probes so that we can image two different cell type localizations in the same aggs/slugs.  Does anyone have a mRFP version of a cell type specific marker?  
Any suggestions for interesting variations on this experimental theme that can be done in a teaching lab are also welcome!   
THanks- Dave


Dr. David Knecht    
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Co-head Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy Facility
U-3125
91 N. Eagleville Rd.
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269
860-486-2200
860-486-4331 (fax)