Fluorescent probe: A novel visualization tool for rapidly assessing the health risk of organisms exposed to microcystins

Abstract

<p>Microcystins (MCs) released by cyanobacteria exhibit strong toxicity and pose a potential health threat to organisms, therefore, a simple method for rapidly assessing the health risks of organisms exposed to MCs is needed. Fluorescent probes have been widely applied to detect the environmental contaminants and early indicators of disease occurrence. This novel technology has great application potential because of its targeting ability and visualization capabilities. This perspective proposes that fluorescent probe technology could be used as a visualization tool to quickly illustrate the health risks associated with exposure to MCs. We have envisioned three functions that fluorescent probes should possess for assessing the environmental health risks of MCs: detect MCs in the environment, detect the bioaccumulation of MCs <i>in vivo</i>, and detect the biological effect of MCs. Constructing fluorescent probes for rapid in situ detection of MC accumulation and the impact of MCs on organisms can help comprehensively analyze the health risks of MCs. This perspective presents a new research viewpoint for applying fluorescent probe technology in ecotoxicology research on MCs.</p>