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Researchers frequently use fluorescent proteins (FPs) to visualize proteins in cells. However, the commonly used FPs are not ideal for imaging in animals. In the August 19th issue of Nature Communications, Vladislav Verkhusha, Ph.D., and colleagues report engineering three monomeric near-infrared fluorescent proteins (miRFPs) from bacterial phytochromes and using them to label proteins and design biosensors for imaging and detection in tissues and in living mice. The group showed that the miRFP-based biosensors can be applied to visualize cell division or activation of cellular signaling pathways. miRFPs allow non-invasive imaging and detection of biological processes at different scales, from super-resolution microscopy to in vivo imaging, using the same probes. Protein tagging using miRFPs could be useful in diagnostics and may facilitate drug screening. Dr. Verkhusha is professor of anatomy and structural biology. The co-first authors are Daria Shcherbakova, Ph.D., and Mikhail Baloban, Ph.D.
Posted on: Monday, August 29, 2016