redOx⇌KCL Chemical biology tools to probe the cellular REDOX environment

Cells are the very small units that make up all living things. Our body is a collection of cells with different structures and functions. For example, red blood cells transport oxygen from our lungs to all parts of our body; brain cells transmit messages between each other to control what we think and do; skin cells protect the inside of our body from the outside world.

Changes in the environment inside cells can be considered as alterations in cellular chemistry. The cellular environment within living systems can be thought to span a spectrum between reducing conditions, often characterised by a lack of oxygen, and the presence of chemicals that contain hydrogen, and oxidising conditions, often characterised by the presence of oxygen and reactive oxygen-containing species.

The spectrum of the REDucing to OXidising environment is known as REDOX chemistry. The REDOX environment in the cell results from external stimuli, and affects the function of the cell. Consequently, the REDOX environment can give rise to cellular changes that result in diseases. We also believe that the reverse is also true - that the REDOX state of a cell at a given time will provide predictive information on the fate of a particular cell. We aim to develop chemical tools that will provide a snapshot of the REDOX environment within cells, organs, plants or people, at a given time. We expect these tools to provide new information on fundamental biological processes, and new ways to predict or diagnose disease.