Flipping the switch: Development of bespoke fluorescent probes for plant cell biology

Fluorescence microscopy is an important technique in life sciences, enabling the study of cells from the tissue level down to the single protein level. Fluorophores are indispensable in fluorescence microscopy and their development has been ongoing for decades. Despite significant progress in the implementation and use of fluorescent protein, antibodies and synthetic fluorescent probes the plant science community has been unable to fully benefit from this progress. In this thesis we aim to develop synthetic fluorescent for plants. By understanding how probes behave within plant tissues we try to develop a rationale behind the development of plant specific fluorescent probes. Based on existing probes that perform well in plants we developed two modular motifs that guide otherwise non-specific fluorophores to the cell wall and cell membrane respectively. Using these motifs we created a toolbox of fluorescent probes, including functional ones, specifically tailored towards plants.