Fluorescent Materials and Biological Subcellular Localization

Dear Colleagues,

Subcellular structures or organelles, including the nucleus, mitochondria, lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, lipid droplets, lipid rafts, and so on, play important roles in ensuring the smooth progress of cell growth, proliferation, division, signal transduction, apoptosis, and metabolism, among others. The local properties of the microenvironments surrounding or within subcellular structures/organelles, including pH value, temperature, viscosity, electrostatic property, concentrations of specific small biomolecules, etc., can significantly influence the functions of subcellular structures. Studying the ultra-fine structure and functions of subcellular structures, as well as the biophysical or physicochemical properties of microenvironments, at a subcellular level has garnered tremendous attention in recent years. This attention has created a great demand for fluorescent materials localizing subcellular structures/organelles and sensing the changes in various properties of their microenvironments.

The application of fluorescent materials in biological system is rapidly growing. Different types of fluorescent materials, including organic small molecules, coordination compounds, polymers, inorganic nanoparticles (semiconductor quantum dots, carbon dots, MOF materials, nanoclusters), and hybrid nanoparticles have been used for bioimaging, monitoring biological species, and photodynamic therapy. However, these fluorescent materials were generally used to target specific tissues or cells. In recent years, fluorescent materials able to target subcellular structures/organelles or detect local properties of microenvironments have been rapidly developing. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences aims to collect papers about the advances in fluorescent materials (fluorescent dyes or sensors) for subcellular localization or for detecting biophysical or physicochemical properties of subcellular structures/organelles or microenvironments.

Prof. Dr. Yong Chen
Prof. Dr. Qianyong Cao
Guest Editors

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