FLUORESCENT SENSORS FOR DETECTION OF BIOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Our group has been involved in the preparation of fluorescent sensors for detection of biologically important organic compounds in aqueous media. Fluorescent sensors are compounds which produce visible fluorescence in the presence of a target molecule (analyte). Such sensors have been used to visually trace the presence of certain analytes in and around cells. These studies have proven to be invaluable for the elucidation of cellular mechanisms by giving real-time information about the environment of a cell in a non-destructive manner. However, biologically useful sensors for organic compounds have lagged behind those for metal ions and cellular conditions such as pH and pO2. The main challenge in preparing sensors for organic compounds is obtaining specific, high affinity recognition of the analyte of interest in the complex media of the cell