Ascent Scientific and Columbia University have signed a license agreement for three ruthenium-based caged ligands, it has been confirmed.

Caged compounds are formed of a bioactive molecule which is temporarily inactivated by being bound to a chemical group but can be released and activated by light.

The three compounds involved in the deal - RuBi-Glutamate, RuBiGABA and RuBi-4AP - are believed to offer significant advantages over their predecessors.

They are activated entirely by visible wavelengths, a development which means that UV light, which can cause damage to living tissues, is not required for using them.

Furthermore, there is no need for costly quartz optics, while uncaging can take place far quicker as a result of the single photochemical step in the light-sensitive process.

Dr Rafael Yuste, a professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia and an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, was full of praise for the compounds' capabilities.

"This family can greatly advance research in different fields of biology, such as neuroscience, cell and developmental biology and possibly also cancer biology, by enabling the optical manipulation of a variety of cellular functions with visible light and two-photon lasers," he said.

"RuBi-Glutamate, RuBi-GABA and Rubi-4AP are the first three of a series of compounds that we are developing and testing to provide a toolbox for optical experiments on living tissue."

Ruthenium is generally used for wear-resistant electrical contacts and in the production of thick-film resistors.

Source:

Ascent Scientific licenses novel light-sensitive caged ligands from Columbia University (15/09/10)

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