Researchers discovered fluorescent molecules that glow in water enhancing visualization of cells

A team of researchers at the Departments of Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry of the University of Malaga and The Biomimetic Dendrimers and Photonic Laboratory of the research institute IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND has achieved a breakthrough with Malaga signature that combines materials science and biomedicine. They have developed a new family of fluorescent molecules with promising applications in the study of living cells and the medicine of the future.

The study has just been published in Advanced Materials, one of the world’s most influential scientific journals, which only invites international benchmark research groups to publish. In this case, the publication is part of a special issue that brings together the most active teams in Spain in the field of advanced materials, thus placing Malaga at the forefront of cutting-edge research.

The secret of blue light

According to the publication, the team of researchers has created a new family of fluorescent molecules that glow in a surprising way. This type of molecules typically lose part of their intensity or change to more dull colors when dissolved in water or other biological media. However, these new molecules do just the opposite: They emit a higher fluorescence intensity because their coloration shifts to the blue region of the light spectrum.

This behavior, which scientists described as “counterintuitive,” is key because it means that dyes work better in aqueous media like the inside of a cell, something essential for biomedical applications. In other words, they do not turn off when they are needed most but rather maintain –and even enhance– their brightness in real conditions of use.

Illuminating the inside of cells 

This breakthrough takes on a real meaning when applied to biomedicine. These new dyes allow researchers to “photograph” the inside of the cells with great precision and without damaging them, thanks to a technique called multiphoton microscopy. This method enables deeper penetration into living tissues, obtaining clearer and safer images.

The most striking thing is their ability to selectively mark mitochondria, the well-known “powerhouses of cells”, responsible for supplying the energy required for life, playing a key role in diseases such as cancer or neurodegenerative pathologies.

The experiments showed that these new molecules offer images of a quality comparable to that of fluorescence, but with a decisive advantage: They are easier and cheaper to produce. This opens the door to more accessible diagnostic tools to study essential cellular processes and, in the future, improve early detection of diseases.

Top-class collaboration

It is worth mentioning that this discovery has been possible thanks to the talent of a top-class multidisciplinary team of the University of Malaga. The study has been conducted by José Manuel Marín Beloqui, Juan T. López Navarrete and Juan Casado Cordón, all researchers at the Faculty of Science, together with scientists from the Biomimetic Dendrimer and Photonics Laboratory of IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, and directed by Ezequiel Pérez-Inestrosa, along with Carlos Benítez Martín and Francisco Nájera Albendín.

“These results are tremendously encouraging,” said UMA Professors Ezequiel Pérez-Inestrosa and Juan Casado. “Not only do these molecules challenge an established rule in fluorescent chemistry, but they also open the door to new tools for studying diseases where mitochondria function is key. It is an example of what is achieved when fundamental chemistry meets research applied to biomedicine”.

This way, the publication also recognizes the contribution of Professor of Physical Chemistry Teodomiro López Navarrete, current Rector of the University of Malaga, who appears as co-author in recognition of his brilliant scientific career and his pioneering role in the consolidation of these lines of research in advanced materials.

With this contribution, Málaga strengthens its position as an international benchmark in materials science and biomedicine, demonstrating how collaboration between disciplines can lead to advances of enormous impact.

Bibliography: Benitez-Martin, C., Marin-Beloqui, J. M., López Navarrete, J. T., Casado, J., Najera, F., & Perez-Inestrosa, E. (2025). Counterintuitive fluorescence blue shift in symmetry breaking dicationic bis(indolium) with two-photon absorption properties for NIR living cell imaging. Advanced Materials. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202510730