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Hana Kokot, Boštjan Kokot and Iztok Urbančič (Laboratory of Biophysics, Condensed Matter Physics Department, F5) have, together with colleagues from the Faculty of Pharmacy (University of Ljubljana), published a paper titled Amphiphilic coumarin-based probes for live-cell STED nanoscopy of plasma membrane in the journal Bioorganic Chemistry.

The authors synthesized and characterized a novel amphiphilic fluorescent label SHE-2N, which enables quick and long-lasting fluorescent labeling of the outer cell membranes of living cells. This new label for fluorescence microscopy is also suitable for high-resolution STED microscopy and two-photon microscopy due to its high photostability and appropriate spectral characteristics.

Andraž Rešetič, at the invitation of the editor of Communications Chemistry, published a review article titled "Shape programming of liquid crystal elastomers," Commun Chem 7, 56 (2024), in which he provided a brief overview of current shape programming methods for liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). LCEs are materials that reversibly change shape when exposed to external stimuli, such as light or heat. The local arrangement of liquid crystal components in LCEs affects the complexity of the shape response, and this arrangement is programmed into the material using various processes, including mechanical deformation, external electric or magnetic fields, polarized light, and other methods. As an unavoidable part of LCE synthesis, these processes also introduce geometrical constraints and influence the final size and amount of synthesized material. Therefore, the applicability of LCEs is highly dependent on the methods used. In the article, the author explored these limiting factors and provided his perspective on the future implementation of LCEs in everyday applications.