One of the most popular uses of<unk>  is its application in PET scans. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a widely used imaging technique in the field of nuclear medicine. With applications in research and in diagnosis, a PET scan can be used to image tumors, diagnose brain disease, and monitor brain or heart function 8,9,12. These images are created with the aid of radiotracers that emit positrons which decay via an annihilation reaction to generate two 510 KeV photons that are then detected and used to reconstruct images using the same software utilized in X-Ray CT units. The gamma rays are then emitted nearly 180 degrees from each other and their detection allows the ability to pinpoint the source, thus creating an image. One of the most popular isotopes used as a positron emitting radiotracer is fluorine-18. This isotope is particularly advantageous due to its short half-life of approximately 109.8 min, its decay being 97% positron emission, its ease of production, and its energy being low (0.64 MeV). Therefore, the<unk>  procedure is incorporates the radioactive isotope of choice in order to create the images. Another application in the field of<unk>  chemistry lies in the field of biofuels. Recent interest has been given to the exploration of lignocellulostic material as a biofuel source. Given that it is the most plentiful renewable carbon source in the biosphere, it is a natural choice for this purpose. The composition consists of three elements—hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. It is the last of these three, lignin, that presents the greatest obstacle to the efficient use of such material as a feasible biofuel source. The recalcitrant chemical nature of the lignin molecule currently requires an extensive and expensive process to degrade for bioethanol. Current research is being conducted to find more economical ways to breakdown this lignin barrier. This research will explore the use of<unk>  with the fluorine-18 isotope to search for places in nature that lignin is being degraded. The radioactive fluorine will be attached to lignin-degradation products in order to search for enzymes in nature that breakdown lignin. This will help to make the process more efficient for use in biofuel production.
Radiofluorination
Salicylate testing
Sweat test
Transillumination
Gallocyanin stain
Mesomark assay
Suction
Suction 