Fluorescent Proteins - Biosensors

One problem haunted many researcher is an imaging a cell. Sometimes, a cell will be dead, if we put some reagent to him. Furthermore, conventional approach such as using an X-ray, beam will make many cell dead, and the recovery is about 3 to 4 months. That is an example for human body. How about, single cell, protein, or special cell that sensitive to light. Therefore

Carnegie Mellon scientists designed the FAPs to emit fluorescent light only when bound to a fluorogen, an otherwise non-fluorescent dye added by the scientists. This feature will allow biologists to track proteins on the cell surface and within living cells in very simple and direct ways, eliminating cumbersome experimental steps.Scientists say the fluorogen activating proteins are especially useful for developing molecular biosensors, because FAPs allow researchers to not only see where the target protein is within the space of the cell, but also to see color changes when it becomes fluorescent. Color changes may reflect changes in the local environment of the protein, and allow quantitative sensing in real time of the biological activity of proteins and biomolecules that are in close proximity to each other.

Fluorescent Proteins Developed For Live Cell Imaging, Biosensor Design

I thought within ten years, this biosensor will be the greatest influence and the best tool to fasten drug discovery