We are particularly interested in the photophysical properties of conjugated polymers, which have made them useful materials for application in chemical and biological sensing. It is intriguing to design and synthesize novel structures by manipulating the construction of the polymer backbone and modification of sidechains.

Our group has developed conjugated polyelectrolyte-based fluorescence assays for a series of biomarkers, including caspases, phosphatases, thrombin, Bcl-xL, and et al. Usually a peptide substrate or an aptamer unit is used in this specific sensing strategy.

Caspases

Acid phosphatase detection and prostate cancer diagnosis

Acid phosphatase detection and prostate cancer diagnosis

The mammalian olfactory system has provided an alternative approach to discriminating analytes with subtle differences and their mixtures of great complexity: a way of encoding the identity and intensity of complex odors with a multiplicity of odor receptors and transferring those signals for decoding to the central nervous system. There are emerging array-based sensing methods (known as artificial noses or tongues), which simulate the encoding process by collecting signal responses from interactions between probes and analytes, which have demonstrated multiple applications in various biometrics classifications. Our group recently published several articles in this area.

Visual artificial tongue for identification of various metal ions in mixtures and real water samples: a colorimetric sensor array using off-the-shelf dyes.

RSC Advances 2019, 9, 27583-27587.

Fluorescence Sensor Array for Discrimination of Urine Proteins and Differentiation Diagnosis of Urinary System Diseases

ACS Appl. Bio. Mater., 2020, 3, 5639-5643.

Discrimination of Powdered Infant Formula According to Species, Country of Origin, and Brand Using a Fluorescent Sensor Array

ACS Food Science & Technology 2021, 1 (8), 1392-1398.

Cross-Reactive Fluorescent Sensor Array for Discrimination of Amyloid Beta Aggregates

Analytical Chemistry 2022, 94 (14), 5469-5473.

Fluorescence Analysis of Circulating Exosomes for Breast Cancer Diagnosis Using a Sensor Array and Deep Learning

ACS Sens. 2022, 7, 1524−1532

Multi-functional probes, which not only enable visualization of diseased cells but also induce therapeutic cellular responses, are essential to biological studies. We have developed several molecular probes to regulate biological processes, including protein degradation, apoptosis, and autophagy.

Photosensitized protein degredation

Protac

Photosensitizer induced cell apoptosis