Photoactivatable fluorescent proteins (PAFPs) and other advanced fluorescent proteins (FPs) - several of which have been developed by Vladislav Verkhusha, associate professor of anatomy & structural biology at Yeshiva University - spotlight individual cellular molecules and are transforming biomedical research. PAFPs and FPs allow scientists to non-invasively visualize the structures and processes in living cells at the molecular level. Verkhusha has developed a variety of PAFPs and FPs for use in imaging mammalian cells, expanding the applications of fluorescence microscopy.
Verkhusha developed a red PAFP called PAmCherry1, which has faster photoactivation, improved contrast, and better stability compared to other PAFPs of its type. "PAmCherry1 will allow improvements in several imaging techniques, notably two-color SR fluorescence microscopy, in which two different molecules or two biological processes can be viewed simultaneously in a single cell," explains Verkhusha. One of his PAFPs was used to capture the first nanoscale images of the orientation of molecules within biological structures. In addition, Dr. Verkhusha has developed new types of fluorescent proteins called fluorescent timers (FTs), which can change their color from blue to red over a matter of hours.
