Raman puzzle: The isotope investigation

Think of E. coli bacteria as tiny creatures that feed on special isotopes, such as deuterium and special sugars. I use an instrument called Raman spectroscopy to see how these isotopes move around inside the bacteria at different times. Think of isotopes as special glow-in-the-dark markers that you can put in different places on a map. When bacteria eat these labeled nutrients, we can use special tools to see where the markers appear. This helps us understand how the food moves and functions inside the bacteria, as if we could figure out the secret paths they take on their journey! Curious to find out more?