Editing Cadmium (section)

===Laboratory uses===
[[File:HeCd laser.jpg|thumb|Violet light from a [[helium]] cadmium metal vapor [[laser]]. The highly [[monochromatic]] color arises from the 441.563 nm transition [[spectral line|line]] of cadmium.]]
Helium–cadmium lasers are a common source of blue or ultraviolet laser light. Lasers at wavelengths of 325, 354 and 442&nbsp;nm are made using this [[gain medium]]; some models can switch between these wavelengths. They are notably used in [[fluorescence microscopy]] as well as various laboratory uses requiring laser light at these wavelengths.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.olympusfluoview.com/java/hecdlasers/index.html| title = Helium–Cadmium Lasers| publisher = Olympus| access-date = 14 May 2011| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110715000100/http://www.olympusfluoview.com/java/hecdlasers/index.html| archive-date = 15 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JxASQpi0LXoC&pg=PA488| chapter = Helium–cadmium Laser|title = Lasers: Principles, Types and Applications|isbn = 978-81-224-1492-9|author1 = Nambiar, K.R|date = 2006| publisher = New Age International}}</ref>

Cadmium selenide [[quantum dot]]s emit bright [[luminescence]] under UV excitation (He–Cd laser, for example). The color of this luminescence can be green, yellow or red depending on the particle size. Colloidal solutions of those particles are used for imaging of biological tissues and solutions with a [[fluorescence microscope]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/abstracts.php?p=3906|publisher=NASA|title=Cadmium Selenium Testing for Microbial Contaminants|date=10 June 2003|access-date=20 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725023512/http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/abstracts.php?p=3906|archive-date=25 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In molecular biology, cadmium is used to block [[Voltage-gated calcium channel|voltage-dependent calcium channels]] from fluxing calcium ions, as well as in [[Hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]] research to stimulate [[proteasome]]-dependent degradation of [[Hypoxia-inducible factors|Hif-1α]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal = European Journal of Biochemistry|volume = 267|issue = 13|pages = 4198–4204|date = 2000|doi = 10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01453.x|title = Cadmium blocks hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1-mediated response to hypoxia by stimulating the proteasome-dependent degradation of HIF-1alpha|first1 = Chun Y. S.|last1 = Park J. W.|pmid = 10866824|last2 = Choi|first2 = E.|last3 = Kim|first3 = G. T.|last4 = Choi|first4 = H.|last5 = Kim|first5 = C. H.|last6 = Lee|first6 = M. J.|last7 = Kim|first7 = M. S.|last8 = Park|first8 = J. W.|doi-access = free}}</ref>

Cadmium-selective sensors based on the [[fluorophore]] [[BODIPY]] have been developed for imaging and sensing of cadmium in cells.<ref>{{cite book
|last1=Taki
|first1=Masayasu
|title=Cadmium: From Toxicity to Essentiality
|chapter=Imaging and Sensing of Cadmium in Cells
|editor=Astrid Sigel
|editor2=Helmut Sigel
|editor3=Roland K. O. Sigel
|series=Metal Ions in Life Sciences
|volume=11
|date=2013
|publisher=Springer
|pages=99–115
|doi=10.1007/978-94-007-5179-8_5|pmid=23430772
|isbn=978-94-007-5178-1
}}
</ref> One powerful method for monitoring cadmium in aqueous environments involves [[electrochemistry]]. By employing a [[self-assembled monolayer]] one can obtain a cadmium selective electrode with a [[Parts-per notation|ppt]]-level sensitivity.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Noyhouzer|first1=Tomer|last2=Mandler|first2=Daniel|date=2011-01-17|title=Determination of low levels of cadmium ions by the under potential deposition on a self-assembled monolayer on gold electrode|journal=Analytica Chimica Acta|volume=684|issue=1–2|pages=1–7|doi=10.1016/j.aca.2010.10.021|pmid=21167979|bibcode=2011AcAC..684....1N }}</ref>