However, blots can be incubated for as long as 24 hours to maximize the signal from low-abundance targets. Nondestructive imaging and adjustable sensitivity. Unique advantages of chemifluorescence are that scanning a fluorescent blot on a Molecular Dynamics fluorescence imaging system is nondestructive, requires no film exposure, and takes only a few minutes. If an initial image is either weak or saturated, adjust the sensitivity of the detection system to maximize the signal over background and then rescan, or continue incubation with the substrate to develop additional signal. With nondestructive imaging and adjustable sensitivity, you can achieve the best results possible for each experiment.
Many fluorochromes are stable for a long time.
Fluorescent probes can be kept for many months, and a fluorescent blot can be stored and rescanned after several weeks with little decay in signal. In contrast, a chemiluminescent molecule is autonomously luminous. No excitation light is required for chemiluminescence, however the luminescence peaks within minutes of substrate addition and decays over just a few hours. Limits of detection. A chemiluminescence system that already uses alkaline phosphatase can become a chemifluorescent system simply by switching to the chemifluorescent substrate.