Molecular tweaks make fluorescent probes five times brighter
Chemists at the University of Bath have identified how small changes to the structure of azulene-based fluorescent probes can alter their colour and brightness, providing a blueprint for developing improved tools for biological imaging and chemical sensing.
Published in Organic Chemistry Frontiers, the research examines derivatives of azulene, a blue compound found in nature including some corals and mushrooms, as part of the university’s AzuFluor® platform. The team found that one modified molecule was five times brighter than the original, highlighting the potential to improve probes used to observe molecular processes in cells.
Fluorescent probes typically combine a receptor, which recognises a particular target, with a fluorophore that absorbs light at one wavelength and emits it at another. Under a microscope, this fluorescence allows researchers to track specific molecules and investigate biological processes that would otherwise be difficult to observe.
Azulene has unusual optical properties that make it an interesting candidate for this work. The Bath team systematically synthesised and analysed a range of azulene derivatives to establish how changes to their molecular structures affect the colour and intensity of their fluorescence.
The findings provide a basis for designing probes with properties tailored to particular sensing and imaging applications. Such tools could eventually help researchers investigate cellular changes associated with conditions including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, cancer and asthma. The study, however, focuses on the molecular features controlling fluorescence rather than demonstrating improved disease detection.
Dr Chiara Faverio, the study’s first author, said fluorescent probes act as “molecular beacons”, allowing researchers to observe biological processes that would otherwise remain invisible. Designing brighter, more sensitive probes could open up further opportunities for studying disease-related changes in cells, she added.
The research was led by Professor Simon Lewis, Professor Tony James and Dr Dan Pantos in Bath’s Department of Chemistry, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Professor Lewis said the team had been exploring azulene fluorophores since 2019. The latest work, he said, reveals the molecular features that control their brightness and emission, offering a guide for future probe design.
Pics: Viktor Talushuk / David Clode
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