Special issue on “Fluorescent probes”

Fluorescent probes are intelligently designed molecules that transform the act of binding/reacting with a target analyte into an optical signal [1,2].Their high sensitivity and specificity coupled with high spatial and temporal resolution offers a non-invasive approach to observe a specific analyte within complex biological environments in real time with high precision [3].These “molecular tools” have the capability to interrogate the role of specific biomarkers that are associated with a particular disease state or can be used to improve our understanding of the role or certain species in a biological pathway [4,5].In addition to their biological applications,fluorescent probes have found use for the detection of environmental,agricultural,and industrial pollutants,making them critically important for public health and safety [6].