Switchable fluorescent tools for ultra-precise imaging of cell biology
Official title: Developing Switchable and Functional Fluorophores For Multi-Functional Super-Resolution Microscopy
Funded at North Carolina State University Raleigh · NIH-11380809 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist at NC State is developing smart fluorophores that can switch on and off and work together with advanced imaging to study how molecules behave inside living cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina State University Raleigh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Raleigh, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $364,969 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM155241-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380809 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are researchers and clinicians seeking high-resolution molecular insights into human cells and tissues, with access to advanced imaging facilities.
✕Less likely to help
Patients are not directly recruited; the work is primarily tool development and basic science.
What this research studies
This project designs new switchable and functional fluorophores and tests them with multi-dimensional single-molecule imaging to reveal how biomolecules interact with their tiny environments. The work aims to overcome current fluorophore limitations so researchers can capture both molecular location and function at very high resolution. The approach combines chemical design with cutting-edge imaging to enable spatially resolved, multi-omics insights at the single-cell level. The effort seeks to translate these probes into tools that can illuminate cellular processes that underlie health and disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more detailed understanding of cellular processes that drive diseases and from future diagnostics or therapies guided by high-resolution molecular information.
How similar studies have gone: Previous fluorophore designs have improved imaging but still fall short for functional single-molecule reads, making this a novel and potentially transformative approach.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina State University Raleigh
Raleigh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Yang — North Carolina State University Raleigh
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Yang
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.