Recent progress in expanding the chemiluminescent toolbox for bioimaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Chemiluminescence imaging applications have expanded beyond slow biological phenomena like circadian rhythms.
• Recent advancements include brighter chemiluminescent proteins and near-infrared-emitting luciferins.
• These innovations significantly improve sensitivity and enable real-time imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent protein- and substrate-based approaches in chemiluminescence imaging.
• To highlight methods for tuning emission wavelengths.
• To discuss the development of functional chemiluminescent indicators.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on protein-based chemiluminescence.
• Review of recent literature on substrate-based chemiluminescence.
• Analysis of novel concepts for functional indicator development.

Main Results:

• Expanded color palettes and brighter probes enhance in vivo cell tracking sensitivity.
• Near-infrared emitters improve deep tissue imaging capabilities.
• Novel functional indicators provide insights into physiological and pathological processes.

Conclusions:

• Chemiluminescence imaging is now a powerful tool for real-time, high-resolution biological studies.
• Protein and substrate engineering are key to advancing imaging sensitivity and functionality.
• Functional indicators offer new avenues for understanding living organisms.