[Development of fluorescent imaging sensors based on proteins]

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Context:

• Genetically-encoded fluorescent proteins are crucial for high spatiotemporal resolution imaging in biological research.
• Protein engineering enables the development of sensors for various target molecules and ions, like calcium.
• Chemigenetic sensors, combining proteins and synthetic molecules, represent a growing area of interest.

Purpose:

• To introduce the latest research trends in the development of fluorescent imaging sensors.
• To highlight advancements in genetically-encoded and chemigenetic sensor technologies.
• To showcase specific sensor developments from the authors' research group.

Summary:

• This article reviews recent progress in fluorescent imaging sensor development, focusing on genetically-encoded and chemigenetic approaches.
• It details how protein engineering facilitates the creation of sensors for visualizing molecular and ionic changes.
• The review emphasizes innovations, including those developed by the authors' team, for advanced biological and medical research.

Impact:

• These advanced imaging sensors improve the understanding of biological processes at high resolution.
• The development of novel chemigenetic sensors expands the toolkit for molecular and cellular research.
• The research presented offers new possibilities for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in medicine.