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Fluorophore

A fluorophore is a fluorescent chemical compound. It can re-emit light after its excitation by light.

The fluorophore re-emits light of a bigger wavelength that the one that it absorbed. The fluorophore structure and its chemichal environment influences the absorbed wavelenghts and the time before the emission, as well as the interaction of the molecule in its excited state with sorrounding molecules.

The excitation energies run from ultraviolet through the visible spectrum, and the emission energies may continue from visible light into the infrared region.

One of the most populars fluorophores that is used is the Flurescein. Its aplications goes from the antibody labeling to the nucleic acids. The most recent generations of fluorophores has been identified as more photostable, brighter and less pH-sensitives, what makes them perform better. Derivates of rhodamine, coumarin and cyanine are examples of other common fluorophores.

In medicine, as a tracer in fluids, as a probe or indicator or as a dye staining of certain structures (as a substrate of enzymes), the fluorophores are importants for the diagnose and the study of some health problems or reactions of our organism. This fluorescent chemical compounds are used to mark tissues and cells in various analytical methods, as in fluorescente imaging and spectroscopy. The process of the fluorescent labeling is based on the attachement of fluorophores to another molecule, such as a protein or a nucleic acid.

Types of fluorophores

Organic dyes

The first fluorescente compounds used in biological research were the synthetic organic dyes, such as fluorescein.

This fluors of smaller size can be crosslinked to macromolecules, for example, antibodies, without any interferance with their biological function, what is a benefit for bioconjugation strategies.

Biological fluorophores

Since the 1990s, when a biological fluorophore was used for the first time, many proteins have been projected to use in biological expression systems. Their use is now very common.

Quantum dots

This nanocrystals has unique chemical properties that provide control over the spectral characteristics of the fluor. When excited, they emit fluorescence at a wavelenght based on the size of the particle. Smaller quantum dots emit higher energy then the large ones.

==== Vantages and disvantages ==== The expression plasmids of the biological fluorophores can be introduced into bacterias, cells or organs to express that fluorophore, alone or fused to a protein of interest.

The appear of reactive oxygen species or some toxicity can be caused by the use of fluoresceint proteins. The normal biological function of the celular protein to wich the fluorophore is fused can be changed by the size of the biological fluorescente protein.

During the use of quantum dots they have been recognized has more photostable than other fluorophores. However, there are reports of response to the breakdown of the particles as cell toxicity.

Conclusion

Altought the disvantages of the use of this fluorescente chemical compounds, the vantages show that the fluorophores has an important place in the biological and medical research because they help to diagnose many health problems and they facilitate the study of many biological reactions that occur in our organism. This methods have been in constant development and increasing owing to the versatility of the fluorophores and the thechniques are being improved for the melioration of the researches and the obtained results.

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-== Fluorophores ==
+== Fluorophore ==
+A
+fluorophore is a fluorescent chemical compound. It can re-emit light after its
+excitation by light.
-A fluorophore is a fluorescent chemical compound that can re-emit light upon light excitation.
+The
-The fluorophore absorbs light energy of a specific wavelength and re-emits light at a longer wavelength. The absorbed wavelengths and time before emission depend on both the fluorophore structure and its chemical environment, as the molecule in its excited state interacts with surrounding molecules. Excitation energies range from ultraviolet through the visible spectrum, and emission energies may continue from visible light into the near infrared region.
+fluorophore re-emits light of a bigger wavelength that the one that it
-Fluorescein, has been one of the most popularized fluorophores. From antibody labeling, the applications have spread to nucleic acids. Other common fluorophores are derivatives of rhodamine (TRITC), coumarin, and cyanine. Newer generations of fluorophores often perform better (more photostable, brighter, and less pH-sensitive).
+absorbed. The fluorophore structure and its chemichal environment influences
-In medicine, the fluorophores are importants for the diagnose of some problems. Sometimes are used alone, as a tracer in fluids, as a dye for staining of certain structures, as a substrate of enzymes, or as a probe or indicator. Fluorophores are notably used to stain tissues, cells, or materials in a variety of analytical methods, for exemple, fluorescent imaging and spectroscopy.
+the absorbed wavelenghts and the time before the emission, as well as the
+interaction of the molecule in its excited state with sorrounding molecules.
-=== Types of fluorophores ===
+The
+excitation energies run from ultraviolet through the visible spectrum, and the
+emission energies may continue from visible light into the infrared region.
+One of the
+most populars fluorophores that is used is the Flurescein. Its aplications goes
+from the antibody labeling to the nucleic acids. The most recent generations of
+fluorophores has been identified as more photostable, brighter and less
+pH-sensitives, what makes them perform better. Derivates of rhodamine, coumarin
+and cyanine are examples of other common fluorophores.
+In
+medicine, as a tracer in fluids, as a probe or indicator or as a dye staining
+of certain structures (as a substrate of enzymes), the fluorophores are
+importants for the diagnose and the study of some health problems or reactions
+of our organism. This fluorescent chemical compounds are used to mark tissues
+and cells in various analytical methods, as in fluorescente imaging and
+spectroscopy. The process of the fluorescent labeling is based on the
+attachement of fluorophores to another molecule, such as a protein or a nucleic
+acid.
+==== Types of fluorophores ====
 '''Organic dyes'''
-Synthetic organic dyes, such as fluorescein, were the first fluorescent compounds used in biological research. The small size of these fluors is a benefit over biological fluorophores for bioconjugation strategies because they can be crosslinked to macromolecules, such as antibodies, without interfering with proper biological function.
-Biological fluorophores
-The first use of a biological fluorophore for research applications occurred in the 1990s. Since that time many proteins have been designed for use in biological expression systems, and their use is now commonplace in biological research.
+The first
+fluorescente compounds used in biological research were the synthetic organic
+dyes, such as fluorescein.
+This fluors
+of smaller size can be crosslinked to macromolecules, for example, antibodies,
+without any interferance with their biological function, what is a benefit for
+bioconjugation strategies.
+'''Biological fluorophores'''
+Since
+the 1990s, when a biological fluorophore was used for the first time, many
+proteins have been projected to use in biological expression systems. Their use
+is now very common.
+====== '''Quantum dots''' ======
+This
+nanocrystals has unique chemical properties that provide control over the
+spectral characteristics of the fluor. When excited, they emit fluorescence at
+a wavelenght based on the size of the particle. Smaller quantum dots emit higher
+energy then the large ones.
+==== Vantages
+and disvantages ====
+The
+expression plasmids of the biological fluorophores can be introduced into bacterias,
+cells or organs to express that fluorophore, alone or fused to a protein of interest.
+The appear
+of reactive oxygen species or some toxicity can be caused by the use of
+fluoresceint proteins. The normal biological function of the celular protein to
+wich the fluorophore is fused can be changed by the size of the biological
+fluorescente protein.
+During the
+use of quantum dots they have been recognized has more photostable than other
+fluorophores. However, there are reports of response to the breakdown of the
+particles as cell toxicity.
-'''Quantum dots'''
+'''Conclusion'''
-Quantum dots are nanocrystals with unique chemical properties that provide tight control over the spectral characteristics of the fluor. Quantum dots have been increasingly used in fluorescence applications in biological research. They are nanoscale-sized (2-50nm) semiconductors that, when excited, emit fluorescence at a wavelength based on the size of the particle; smaller quantum dots emit higher energy than large quantum dots, and therefore the emitted light shifts from blue to red as the size of the nanocrystal increases.
-=== Vantages and disvantages ===
+Altought
-The benefit of the biological fluorophores is that expression plasmids can be introduced into either bacteria, cells, organs or whole organisms, to drive expression of that fluorophore either alone or fused to a protein of interest in the context of the biological processes studied.
+the disvantages of the use of this fluorescente chemical compounds, the
-The use of fluorescent proteins can be time consuming, and expressing large amounts of light-producing proteins can cause reactive oxygen species and induce artifactual responses or toxicity. Additionally, the size of the fluorescent protein can change the normal biological function of the cellular protein to which the fluorophore is fused, and biological fluorophores do not typically provide the level of photostability and sensitivity offered by synthetic fluorescent dyes.
+vantages show that the fluorophores has an important place in the biological
-Quantum dots have also been reported to be more photostable than other fluorophores. Additionally, quantum dots can be coated for use in different biological applications such as protein labeling. While the use of quantum dots in biological applications is increasing, there are reports of cell toxicity in response to the breakdown of the particles.
+and medical research because they help to diagnose many health problems and
+they facilitate the study of many biological reactions that occur in our
+organism. This methods have been in constant development and increasing owing
+to the versatility of the fluorophores and the thechniques are being improved
+for the melioration of the researches and the obtained results.