Fluorescent imaging has become one of the most commonly used imaging tools in preclinical research. In the past two decades there has been an increased interest in the development of new fluorescent probes or fluorescent biomarkers, mostly small molecules excitable in the visible to near-infrared wavelengths of the spectrum. The fluorescent probes represent a useful tool for visualization of specific molecular targets in vitro and in vivo, significantly expanding the applicability of fluorescence imaging. Our group is working in the multigram scale synthesis of fluorescent probes from the cyanine family, which have ALEXA647 and sulfoCy5 as two of the best examples of near-infrared fluorophores currently in the market.

These fluorescent probes are deployed in advanced neuropeptide tracer design with a focus on clinical diagnostics and biomedical and pharmaceutical research including drug delivery, luminescent imaging and microscopy, and photodynamic therapy of cancer among others.