Glen Hebberd

• MChem with Hons in Chemistry
• Title of project: Fluorescent Phosphonium Salts as Triple-Function Cell Imaging Probes

Mitochondrial damage has been implicated in a wide variety of diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.  

Mitochondria is the part of a cell that produces its energy, in doing so it gives the outer membrane a negative charge. If this charge is altered - due to mitochondrial damage - some compounds are less able to cross the membrane. This can be seen using medical imaging techniques. Therefore, there is potential to detect problems early, without invasive surgery.  

In this project, I carried out a multiple-step synthesis of a new, fluorescent compound. This compound contained phosphorus with a positive charge. The positive charge is highly selective towards the negative charge of mitochondrial membranes.  

The results of my project have aided the research group by narrowing the search to find which properties give the best performance in mitochondrial imaging. 

Funding source: Newcastle University

Project supervisor: Dr Lee Higham