Scientists have successfully created chemical bonds inside cells using light or photocatalysis, according to a recent study published in theFor the first time, scientists demonstrated exogenous styryl aryl azides transform into indoles within living mammalian cells using photocatalytic conditions. But what does all this really mean?The scientists integrated ‘non-native’ photosensitizers into mammalian cells.
They are light absorbers that trigger a chemical reaction or alter the course of a photochemical reaction. During this process, they created indoles.Indoles, a type of chemical found in plants and vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, are being studied in the prevention of certain types of cancer.