Volume 10, Number 1 • January/February 2002 • Small Business/SBIR

Analyzing Fluorescence May Improve Pharmaceuticals

A portable photosynthesis analyzer developed to help determine if the ocean’s plants are doing their part to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may soon be used in the quest to bring new pharmaceuticals to market.

The photosynthesis analyzer was developed by Ciencia, Inc., of East Hartford, Connecticut, in collaboration with the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The device measures the photochemical efficiency of phytoplankton in the oceans by detecting the fluorescence in the ocean water. Chlorophyll is the agent in plants that aids in the process of photosynthesis, the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into energy for plants.

According to Dr. Salvador M. Fernandez, president of Ciencia, the underlying technology of the photosynthesis analyzer is the ability to measure fluorescence lifetimes. Fluorescence in plants occurs because the photosynthetic reaction is not 100 percent efficient; a small amount of the absorbed solar energy leaks as fluorescence. By measuring the fluorescence lifetime, it is possible to determine the efficiency of the photosynthetic reaction. “We have broadened the applications to other areas where it is useful to measure fluorescence lifetimes,” Fernandez added.

“One application that is currently of interest to the scientific community is how cells transduce signals from the outside world into the nucleus,” he said. “For example, to turn on a gene and have a response. This process is generically called cellular signal transduction.”

There is interest in this particular application from pharmaceutical companies, Fernandez said. “Aside from the intrinsic scientific merit of understanding signal transduction, drug and biotechnology companies are interested in using this as a tool for drug discovery.” A drug typically works by binding to a receptor on the cell surface. This binding is what leads to signal transduction, he added. “Signal transduction involves protein interactions within the cell. Knowing which proteins interact with which other proteins during the signal transduction process is useful because understanding the process allows the development of drugs that enhance or interfere with the process. Fluorescence lifetime-based methods provide a powerful tool to study protein interactions in living cells.” Q

For more information, visit http://www.ciencia.com or contact Kirk Sharp at Stennis Space Center, ) kirk.sharp@ssc.nasa.gov. Please mention you read about it in Innovation.

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