Novel fluorophores that stains mitochondria developed at IICT Hyderabad

Dr. Surya Prakash Singh’s group at the department of Polymers and Functional Materials in IICT has designed and developed novel fluorophores that can stain mitochondria

Hyderabad: The innovation in the field of fluorophores by a group of researchers from the department of Polymers and Functional Materials in Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) has been licensed to Tokyo Chemical Industry (TCI) Co Ltd, Japan.

Dr. Surya Prakash Singh’s group at the department of Polymers and Functional Materials in IICT has designed and developed novel fluorophores that can stain mitochondria, which are considered to be the cellular powerhouses that supply energy in the form of ATP for cellular needs. The technology was recently licensed to TCI, Japan.

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“Dr. Singh’s group in collaboration with Dr. Srigiridhar Kotamraju’s laboratory at the Department of Applied Biology, IICT, found that BODIPY-based novel fluorophores could be used for intracellular mitochondrial tracking. Mitochondria, in addition to be being considered as cellular powerhouses also play a major role in the survival and death of cells and it’s important to track the fitness of mitochondria in various disease conditions,” a press release from IICT said.

Dr. Singh’s research is on the design and synthesis of various classes of sustainable dyes for their use in photonic devices, textiles, paints, and other biological applications.

The current technology transferred by CSIR-IICT uses neutral BODIPY-based non-toxic, stable at room temperature, sensitive, and highly efficient neutral fluorophores, which have an exclusive affinity towards mitochondria. Exploration of such fluorophores is needed for better understanding of mitochondrial diseases. Also, most of the raw materials used in making such novel fluorophores are indigenously made, thus supporting government’s initiatives on Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

These results were patented and published in a prestigious American Chemical Society journal. The other members of the team include Dr. Gayathri Thumuganti and Dr. Santosh Karnewar.

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