In a stunning advancement, researchers have harnessed the power of ‘click chemistry’ to create a groundbreaking reagent that promises to revolutionize live cell research, a field projected to soar beyond $15 billion by 2027.

Previously, the popular CuAAC (Copper-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition) reaction was deemed unsuitable for live cell studies due to the toxicity of copper, which poses a grave threat to cellular integrity.

Lead researcher Rouhanifard explains, "Nobody has successfully tracked biomolecules using CuAAC inside living cells because adding copper is lethal to them." Now, this transformative reagent includes a copper-chelating ligand that neutralizes the copper's toxicity without compromising the reaction's efficacy.

This innovative tool allows scientists to selectively isolate and study different functional groups—specific classes of molecules that share a common role—within cells, all while preserving cell health. Rouhanifard emphasizes, "Live cell labeling is about quickly protecting the cell while gathering critical data."

With imaging techniques like widefield fluorescence, researchers now can differentiate and visualize cellular structures in unprecedented detail. Rouhanifard comments, "Traditionally, cells were analyzed in static snapshots, but molecular dynamics are fluid and responsive to their surroundings. We aim to better visualize these interactions."

Thanks to a Northeastern Spark Fund Award, Rouhanifard and her team are working to make their breakthrough reagent, dubbed InCu-Click, available to biotech and pharmaceutical researchers, targeting widespread commercialization.

Looking ahead, Rouhanifard expresses her hopes for this innovation to bolster her research into gene expression and disease processes. She states, "Our ultimate goal is to track individual RNA molecules in live cells without genetic modifications. For instance, we want to examine patient samples to observe RNA behavior within cells and explore how to regulate it to prevent disease. Ultimately, we aim to cure human ailments."