Understanding the photophysics of fluorescent proteins

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are Nobel-prize winning pigment-protein complexes based on proteins found originally in fluorescent jellyfish that have fuelled a revolution in biomedical imaging over the past few decades. Now, recent research suggests several brand new ways to use FPs to detect protein movements over longer timescales or to image biological tissue with red light that avoids common artefacts. It may even be possible to use FPs to image magnetic fields in biological samples or magnetic materials or as quantum materials for quantum computing applications. This project will study FPs with cutting-edge spectroscopy in Sheffield to explore these new ideas and to develop the fundamental understanding required to make them a reality.