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New designer proteins for deeper insights into living tissue: International research project involving scientists from Dresden

Scientists from Dresden have developed new proteins that emit fluorescence in the near-infrared and short-wave infrared ranges, allowing for high sensitivity visualization of biological structures. This breakthrough enables deeper tissue imaging and could aid in studying disease mechanisms and therapeutic effects.

SourceTechnische Universität Dresden·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateJun 24, 2026

LiON: A fluorescent molecule for tracking iron and oxygen levels in individual cells

Researchers developed LiON, a fluorescent reporter that visualizes biologically active iron and oxygen inside living cells. The tool revealed striking differences in iron and oxygen distribution across organs and cells, offering new opportunities to study diseases like cancer, liver disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions.

SourceInstitute of Science Tokyo·JournalCell Reports Methods·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 16, 2026

Seeing is believing: New probes reveal proteins inside living cells with unprecedented clarity

Researchers have developed a new molecular imaging technology that illuminates proteins inside living cells and animals far more clearly than before. The system uses engineered fluorescent nanobodies to reduce background noise by as much as 100-fold, enabling sharper visualization of protein location and dynamics.

SourceAlbert Einstein College of Medicine·JournalNature Methods·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 22, 2026

Real-time imaging of contact between cells and between a single neuron’s extensions

Scientists from The University of Osaka have created two new fluorescent markers, Gachapin and Gachapin-C, that can visualize dynamic cell-to-cell contacts and connections within a single neuron's extensions. These indicators allow for the monitoring of complex patterns of connectivity in various cell types, including neurons.

SourceThe University of Osaka·JournalCell Reports Methods·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 28, 2026

Multiple proteins viewed as never before

The CombPlex technology developed at Weizmann Institute allows for the simultaneous imaging and quantification of nearly two dozen proteins within individual cells. This breakthrough enables researchers to measure lots of proteins at the same time, crucial for understanding tissue function and disease processes.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalNature Biotechnology·DateApr 7, 2025

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers create innovative microparticles that unlock new insights into protein degradation and immune cell behavior

Researchers at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering have developed a method for studying protein degradation within immune cells using engineered microparticles. This approach provides real-time insights into immune system function and dysfunction, offering valuable tools for understanding diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and a...

SourceFlorida State University·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateMar 27, 2025

Revolutionizing protein modification: a new frontier in cancer research

A team of scientists has created a new method to selectively modify specific proteins in complex biological environments. They achieved this using aptamers and deoxyoxanosine, allowing precise conjugation of desired sites on target proteins. This breakthrough technology has the potential to revolutionize cancer diagnosis and treatment.

SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateMar 26, 2025

Controlling conformational changes in protein aromatic side chains

Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo designed a protein cage system that can control and visualize orientational changes in aromatic side chains through strategic binding of fluorescent ligands. This approach enables precise control over protein dynamics while enhancing fluorescence properties, with potential applications in biomo...

SourceInstitute of Science Tokyo·JournalAdvanced Science·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 26, 2025

New photochemical tools based on thioketal

A new universal photocage modification strategy based on thioketal enables real-time live cell subcellular imaging. The thioketal-based probe SiR-EDT exhibits improved dark stability and can be specifically activated by UV-visible light.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience Bulletin·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateFeb 25, 2025

Bioluminescent cell imaging gets a glow-up

The researchers have developed a groundbreaking method to expand the color palette of bioluminescent protein to 20 distinct colors, enabling advanced simultaneous multi-color imaging. This innovation makes it significantly easier and more cost-effective to monitor multiple targets or track individual cells within a population.

SourceOsaka University·JournalScience Advances·TypeImaging analysis·DateJan 22, 2025

The emerging role of (p)ppGpp in DNA repair and associated bacterial survival against fluoroquinolones

The signaling molecule (p)ppGpp regulates diverse cellular processes essential for DNA repair and stress response, enabling bacterial adaptation to adverse conditions. It influences nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, and recombinational repair pathways, promoting the survival of bacteria under antibiotic pressure.

SourceXia & He Publishing Inc.·JournalGene Expression·DateNov 11, 2024

ACE-ing protein detection in single cells

A new DNA-powered signal amplification technology called ACE significantly enhances the sensitivity of mass cytometry, enabling the detection of multiple proteins in single cells. This breakthrough allows researchers to investigate complex biological processes and study immune cell functions with unprecedented depth.

SourceWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard·JournalNature Biotechnology·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 30, 2024

NSF CAREER grant to investigate design of fluorescent protein sensors with computer simulations that may aid human health and disease

Dr. Alice Walker will investigate the design of fluorescent protein sensors using computer simulations, which may aid in tracking diseases and monitoring treatment effectiveness in living cells and organisms. The five-year $690,816 grant also supports undergraduate research opportunities for WSU students.

Connecting the dots to shape growth forces

Researchers at Kyoto University have discovered a signal protein called ERK that plays an active role in causing growing lung tissue to curve. This finding reveals a previously unknown regulatory system governing the development of intricate branching patterns in mouse lungs.

SourceKyoto University·JournalCurrent Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 27, 2024

A simple and robust method to add functional molecules to peptides

Researchers from Tohoku University developed a unique chemical reaction to attach two distinct functional molecules to the N-terminus of peptides with a glycine amino acid, achieving site-selective modification and stable carbon-carbon bonds. The method shows potential for labeling diverse peptides and larger proteins for purification,...

SourceTohoku University·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateMar 11, 2024

Nanocarrier with escape reflex

A new nanocarrier has been developed that can selectively release drugs in cancer cells through controlled endosomal escape. The approach exploits the unique enzymatic activity of cancer cells, allowing for targeted delivery and reduced harm to healthy cells.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 28, 2024

New method for marking neurotransmitter receptors expressed in the living animal brain

Researchers have developed a new method to label naïve neurotransmitter receptor proteins in living animal brains without genetic manipulation. This technique, known as ligand-directed acylimidazole chemistry (LDAI chemistry), uses pulse-chase analysis to track the movement and fate of proteins in real-time.

SourceJapan Science and Technology Agency·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 22, 2024

A clutch stretch goes a long way

Researchers at Kyoto University have observed a unique phenomenon where talin constantly moves over focal adhesions as a single unit, contradicting prevailing notions. This discovery reveals that talin manages to simultaneously maintain the intercellular connection while transmitting force through dynamic molecular stretching.

SourceKyoto University·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 1, 2024

A KAIST research team observes the processes of memory and cognition in real time​

A KAIST research team has developed a technique called SynapShot, which allows for the real-time observation of synapse formation, extinction, and alterations. This breakthrough technique uses fluorescent proteins to track changes in synapses, offering new insights into brain function and potentially revolutionizing neurological research.

SourceThe Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)·JournalNature Methods·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 18, 2024

Researchers create a new window on leading genetic cause of Alzheimer’s

Scientists have detected over 300 proteins associated with lipoproteins in the central nervous system, far more than previously thought. The most common protein, apolipoprotein E (APOE), plays a key role in delivering nutrient-rich lipids and protein tools to perform tasks such as wound healing and neuron creation.

SourceDOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory·JournalScience Advances·TypeImaging analysis·DateSep 12, 2023

Getting protein factories to run – How deubiquitinating enzymes moonlight as Fubi proteases

Researchers from Max Planck Institute identified mechanisms of deubiquitinating enzymes acting as Fubi proteases, regulating ribosomal protein maturation and modulating immune responses. This discovery expands understanding of post-translational modification systems and their roles in cellular processes.

SourceMax Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology·JournalNature Chemical Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 24, 2023

New technology to study virus infections

Scientists at Max Delbrück Center have developed a tool to screen drugs that can help treat viral diseases like COVID-19 by analyzing the immune response of lung epithelial cells. The technology uses synthetic locus control region (sLCR) DNA sequences that glow red when triggered, enabling researchers to identify potential treatments.

Blind dating in bacteria evolution

Researchers used ancestral sequence reconstruction to study protein interactions in cyanobacteria, finding that they can evolve independently of direct selection pressure. The discovery challenges classical evolutionary theory and suggests that fortuitous compatibility may be the basis for a significant fraction of cellular interactions.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Ecology & Evolution·TypeObservational study·DateApr 6, 2023