Scientists from Trinity have created a suite of new biological sensors by chemically re-engineering pigments to act like tiny Venus flytraps.
Scientists from Trinity have created a suite of new biological sensors by chemically re-engineering pigments to act like tiny Venus flytraps.
The sensors are able to detect and grab specific molecules, such as pollutants, and will soon have a host of important environmental, medical and security applications.
Porphyrins, a unique class of intensely coloured pigments – also known as the “pigments of life” – provide the key to this ground-breaking innovation.
The word porphyrin is derived from the Greek word porphura,meaning purple, and the first chapter detailing the medical-chemical history of porphyrins goes back to the days of Herodotus (circa 484 to 425 BC).
This tale has been progressing ever since and is at the heart of Professor Mathias O. Senge’s work at Trinity.
Read more at: Trinity College Dublin
