Advances in medical imaging: fluorescent cells visible deep in animals.

Inspired by the glow of fireflies, scientists have created fluorescent cells that can be seen deep in animals and could one day be used for medical imaging.
the glow of fireflies depends on the reaction of luciferase and the compound fluorin, scientists have changed them to form a near-infrared light that can pass through the animal's body tissue.
However, natural fluoropase does not match this new compound well, and scientists hope to improve it.
researchers created a version of the lucifer enzyme with random variation and implanted it inside the bacteria, where they sprayed the synthetic lucifer compound to create a flash.
next, the researchers stripped the enzyme from the brightest glowing bacteria and repeated the process.
after 21 generations, the scientists eventually reacted with a new optimized enzyme to a synthetic compound.
when they injected cells that express the new enzyme with synthetic compounds into the blood supply of mice, the light formed passed through the body tissueof of the mice and could be captured by an infrared camera outside the mice.
even a single cell in the lungs of mice is enough to produce a distinguished spot of light, the researchers reported recently in the journal Science.
the team also implanted the enzyme's genes directly into the neurons of a macaque, and a year later, they could still observe the bioflash in their brain region.
future, this new imaging technology will allow doctors to track transplanted cells or monitor tumor development, all of which will no longer require invasive surgery.
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