The use of fluorescent proteins has revolutionized our understanding of biological processes. However, the requirement for external illumination precludes their universal application to the study of biological processes in all tissues. Although light can be created by chemiluminescence, light emission from existing chemiluminescent probes is too weak to use this imaging modality in situations when fluorescence cannot be used. Here we report the development of the brightest luminescent protein to date, Nano-lantern, which is a chimera of enhanced Renilla luciferase and Venus, a fluorescent protein with high bioluminescence resonance energy transfer efficiency. Nano-lantern allows real-time imaging of intracellular structures in living cells with spatial resolution equivalent to fluorescence and sensitive tumour detection in freely moving unshaved mice. We also create functional indicators based on Nano-lantern that can image Ca2+, cyclic adenosine monophosphate and adenosine 5′-triphosphate dynamics in environments where the use of fluorescent indicators is not feasible. These luminescent proteins allow visualization of biological phenomena at previously unseen single-cell, organ and whole-body level in animals and plants.

In this study, we introduce a novel dry process for surface deposition−polymerization of vapor phase α-amino acid N-carboxy anhydride (NCA) from a surface-immobilized initiator layer. In particular, the NCA of γ-benzyl-l-glutamate is initiated from (1-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-modified silicon(100) native oxide substrates to form poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate) (PBLG). The progress of the reaction is monitored by the thickness change measured with ellipsometry, the surface composition is analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the secondary conformation is characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the surface roughness is examined by atomic force microscopy. Under an optimal reaction condition with temperature from 95 to 125 °C in vacuo, PBLG films of 40 nm thickness have been prepared in 4 h with surface roughness rms within 3.5 nm. All films above 4 nm thickness adopt the α-helical conformation.

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Three new flavonoids, (3R)-4'-methoxy-2',3,7-trihydroxyisoflavanone (11), 7-methoxy-3,3',4',6-tetrahydroxyflavone (18), and 2',7-dihydroxy-4',5'-dimethoxyisoflavone (22), were isolated from the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen. (Leguminosae), together with twenty-two known compounds, (S)-4-methoxydalbergione (1), cearoin (2), medicarpin (3), formononetin (4), sativanone (5), 3-hydroxy-9-methoxy-coumestan (6), meliotocarpan A (7), isoliquiritigenin (8), stevein (9), liquiritigenin (10), 3',4',7-trihydroxyflavanone (12), butein (13), 3'-hydroxymelanettin (14), koparin (15), bowdichione (16), fisetin (17), melanettin (19), sulfuretin (20), 3'-hydroxydaidzein (21), 3'-O-methylviolanone (23), xenognosin B (24), and dalbergin (25). These flavonoids were evaluated in antiallergic and anti-inflammatory tests. The results showed that (S)-4-methoxydalbergione (1) and cearoin (2) exhibited antiallergic activity while (S)-4-methoxydalbergione (1), cearoin (2), butein (13), koparin (15), bowdichione (16), 3'-O-methylviolanone (23), and xenognosin B (24) showed significant anti-inflammatory activity.