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A fluorescent sensor is an optical detection device based on the phenomenon of fluorescence, which excites the measured substance to produce a fluorescent signal using a UV light source, and utilizes photoelectric conversion components to achieve qualitative and quantitative analysis. It is widely used in fields such as biomedicine, environmental monitoring, and chemical analysis.
To improve sensor performance and expand its application areas, researchers have been actively conducting scientific research. Recently, researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands have developed a new fluorescent sensor that can monitor DNA damage and repair processes in real-time within living cells and organisms, providing an important new tool for cancer research, drug safety testing, and aging biology. The related results were published in the journal Nature Communications.
This sensor uses small structural domains derived from natural proteins, which can bind to and detach from damage sites, allowing for a more accurate reflection of the natural behavior of cells. The principle is to attach a fluorescent label to a specific protein structural domain from cells, enabling transient recognition of damage markers. Since this binding is mild and reversible, it can “light up” the damaged area without hindering the repair process. Compared to traditional methods, the new sensor allows researchers to continuously observe the entire process of damage formation, repair protein arrival, and damage disappearance within the same cell, without the need to conduct multiple sets of experiments.
The researchers validated the effectiveness of this tool in Caenorhabditis elegans.The sensor not only demonstrated stability but also captured programmatic DNA breaks that occurred during the development of the nematode. This proves that the new technology is applicable not only to cultured cells in the laboratory but also to research in living organisms.
The application potential of this tool extends far beyond monitoring damage repair; it can also freely combine with other molecular modules to map the locations of DNA damage within the genome, identify which proteins aggregate around damaged areas, and even study the effects of different environments on repair efficiency by manipulating the position of damaged DNA within the cell nucleus. In the future, with continuous technological advancements, this fluorescent sensor is expected to play an important role in more fields, promoting further development in life science research and medical applications.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
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