Plug and Play: SMILES Debuts in CHEM
The first (of many) academic papers on Halophore’s proprietary technology was recently published in CHEM, the chemical science imprint from Cell Press. Small molecule ionic isolation lattices (SMILES) are described in the paper for the first time, showing how self-assembly can upgrade fluorescent dyes into fluorescent solids. We take dyes from several major families (e.g., xanthines, cyanines, oxazines) and turn them into the brightest fluorescent materials known, thwarting the 150-year-old problem of concentration quenching. Most interesting of all, the solution-phase properties of the dyes are retained in the solid state, allowing for predictable and easy generation of fluorescent solids. This process requires no additional synthesis or preparation; odds are good that the fluorescent dye sitting on your shelf is suitable for SMILES, waiting to be mixed with cyanostar.
The paper represents the culmination of almost three years of collaborative research between the Flood lab at Indiana University and the Laurson lab at Copenhagen University, and the jumping-off point for Halophore’s commercialization. Keep an eye out for future discoveries from the Flood and Laursen labs on SMILES - this technology has only just begun to show its promise.
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Links:
Full paper at Cell Press (institutional access or subscription required)
Commentary on the paper by Professor Hiromitsu Maeda
Some of the media outlets covering the paper:
