Work

Illuminating the Chemistry of Life: Design, Synthesis, and Applications of “Caged” and Related Photoresponsive Compounds

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: Biological systems are characterized by a level of spatial and temporal organization that often lies beyond the grasp of present day methods. Light-modulated bioreagents, including analogs of low molecular weight compounds, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids, represent a compelling strategy to probe, perturb, or sample biological phenomena with the requisite control to address many of these organizational complexities. Although this technology has created considerable excitement in the chemical community, its application to biological questions has been relatively limited. We describe the challenges associated with the design, synthesis, and use of light-responsive bioreagents; the scope and limitations associated with the instrumentation required for their application; and recent chemical and biological advances in this field.

Source: ACS Chemical Biology

DOI: 10.1021/cb900036s

Authors: Hsien-Ming Lee, Daniel R. Larson, David S. Lawrence

Institutions: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University

Language: English

Topic: Photochromic and Fluorescence Chemistry

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke