Zhen Cheng

Molecular Probes for Bioluminescence Imaging

Wu S, Chang E, Cheng Z, Current Organic Synthesis. 2011; 8 (4): 488-497

Bioluminescence refers to the emission of light from a living system in which photoproteins such as luciferase enzymes oxidize their substrates to produce light. Because of its high-sensitivity and low-toxicity, bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is particularly useful for in vitro assays and in vivo small animal imaging. It provides a powerful tool to study various important biological questions and processes including gene and protein expression, protein-protein interactions, protein-nucleic acid interactions, and cell signaling pathway functions. This review highlights some of the latest developments in the design and applications of molecular probes for BLI.