Work

Studies on a luminescent antimicrobial metal complex reveal a method to directly image pathogenic bacterial infection in a living organism using optical microscopy

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: ABSTRACT Methods to render Galleria Mellonella larvae transparent allowing three-dimensional viewing of larvae through orthodox light microscopy techniques are reported. To explore this model’s capability, we exploited the imaging properties of a metal complex antimicrobial to probe its therapeutic action against a pathogenic A cetinobacter baumannii infection. To illustrate the general utility of this method, we have also used the commercial fluorescent dye, Alexafluor-488, to image bacteria within live larvae.

Source: bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

DOI: 10.64898/2026.10.21.760849

Authors: Kirsty L Smitten, Hannah M Southam, Nick Van Hateren, Christa Walther, Jim A Thomas

Institutions: University of Sheffield, University of Vienna

Language: English

Topic: Metal complexes synthesis and properties

Subfield: Oncology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Awards: Novel antimicrobial agents for bacterial pathogens of livestock: light-activated CO-releasing molecules, G1834226946, G4584296072, G6942171995, White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership in Mechanistic Biology and its Strategic Application