SYNTHESIS AND BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS OF FLUORESCENT PROBES

MOLECULAR PROBES AIMS TO DEVELOP SEVERAL NEW FLUORESCENT PROBES OF UTILITY IN MANY AREAS. FLUORESCENT DYES HAVE EXTENSIVE APPLICATIONS FOR DETERMINATION OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURES AND MECHANISMS, CELL PROPERTIES AND INTERACTIONS,NORMAL AND DISEASE STATES, AND AS ULTRASENSITIVE VISIBLE TRACERS. NEW DYES ARE REQUIRED FOR GREATER SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF DETECTION, IMPROVED SPECTRAL PROPERTIES, AND TO FACILITATE APPLICATIONS OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN LOW- COST EXCITATION SOURCES. OTHER DYES ARE DESIGNED FOR LABELING SINGLE CELLS, CONTROLLED RELEASE OF DYES AND DRUGS INSIDE CELLS, AND SPECIFIC INVESTIGATIONS OF TUBULIN, ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS, AND AN ENZYME. THE NEW PROBES WILL BESYNTHESIZED AND CHARACTERIZED BY MOLECULAR PROBES, THEN EVALUATED FOR THEIR BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTIVENESS IN COLLABORA- TION WITH SEVERAL OUTSIDE RESEARCH GROUPS. AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL BE FORMED TO SEEK FURTHER COLLABORATIONS ON DEVELOPMENT OF FLUORESCENCE APPLICATIONS AND TO GUIDE FUTURERESEARCH EFFORTS OF THE COMPANY.