Functionalized Probes for Bioimaging and Biosensing

Dear Colleagues,

Functionalized probes are essential tools in bioimaging and biosensing, offering significant potential for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. These probes are categorized into various types, including fluorescent probes, bioluminescent probes, chemiluminescent probes, positron emission tomography (PET) probes, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probes. These probes offer various benefits, such as low background noise, high signal-to-background ratios (SBRs), enhanced sensitivity and selectivity, and a high spatial resolution, enabling real-time imaging. Based on their mechanism of action, they can be divided into two groups: activable and non-activable probes. Activable probes emit signals only upon interaction with specific biomolecules, such as enzymes or reactive oxygen species (ROS), enabling the precise imaging of dynamic biological processes in vitro and in vivo. Non-activable probes, in contrast, continuously emit signals and are commonly used for the static imaging of organs or tumors.

Beyond detection, some probes also serve therapeutic functions as photosensitizers or photothermal agents in photodynamic and photothermal therapies. Additionally, some of these probes are designed for multimodal imaging, such as those combining fluorescent and photoacoustic imaging techniques. Recent advancements in probe design focus on enhancing the spatial resolution and imaging depth, making them more effective for applications such as diagnostics, disease monitoring, and the real-time tracking of metabolic processes. By enabling high-precision imaging and biosensing, functionalized probes offer critical insights into cellular functions, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic responses, making them indispensable in modern biological and medical research.

This Special Issue aims to compile notable advancements in innovative research related to the functionalized probes utilized for biosensing and bioimaging, along with their various applications. The scope of this Special Issue therefore includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

1. The development of biosensing platforms using functionalized probes for biomarker detection or diagnosis.
2. Multimodal bioimaging and sensing approaches that utilize different types of functionalized probes.
3. Targeted delivery and the monitoring of biological processes using functionalized probes.
4. Research that demonstrates the application of functionalized probes in clinical diagnostics and therapeutics.

Dr. Yalin Qi
Guest Editor

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• functionlized probes
• bioimaging
• biosensing
• diagnostic
• therapy