Multifunctional aggregates for precise cellular analysis

Precisely analyzing the target materials in living cells can reveal the essence and mystery of life at a deeper level, which will provide reliable theoretical basis for the occurrence, development, treatment and prognosis of major diseases. However, because living cells are in the dynamic process of metabolism, there are several challenges existed in accurate analysis, including subcellular compartment heterogeneity, plasma membrane interface barrier, and cell cycle regulation. In this regard, our group has designed and synthesized a series of multifunctional aggregates by mainly integrating the peptide elements, nucleic acid elements and aggregation elements to overcome the barriers. This article summarizes the latest developments of multifunctional aggregates for precise cell analysis by our group, and systematically introduces them according to different design concepts and targeting dimensions, such as space, efficiency as well as time. We hope this work could contribute to analyzing the biomarkers in cells through constructing the multifunctional aggregates, understanding the operation mechanism of cells, finally inspiring technology breakthroughs in biomedical fields.