Looking Deep Into Tissues — The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded nearly $1.3 million over four years to Dr. Vladislav Verkhusha to develop new types of fluorescent proteins that allow for non-invasive imaging of living cells, deep tissues and whole animals. Dr. Verkhusha’s lab already developed proteins that fluoresce in the near-infrared (NIR) window—a range of wavelengths that can pass through tissues, allowing researchers to peer deep into living animals. Dr. Verkhusha will develop NIR fluorescent proteins (NIRFPs) that emit light at different wavelengths to allow for multicolor labeling. He also is designing another class of NIFRPs that, on exposure to light, will be activated and switch between colors. Moreover, the research team will make biosensors that will fluoresce in the NIR after detecting protein interactions and enzymatic activity. This research will extend to deep-tissue imaging the same ability to track and detect that is now possible in cells and small transparent organisms with microscopy. Dr. Verkhusha is professor of anatomy & structural biology.
Posted on: Tuesday, September 09, 2014