Molecular probe design: Via the "covalent-assembly" principle

Fluorescent probes find widespread applications in chemical analysis, biosensing, and disease diagnosis and are also the cornerstones of many cutting-edge biotechnologies. Yet, the numerous probes developed thus far are actually based on a handful of probe design principles. In this article, we wish to summarize the recent progress of the field toward the use of a novel "covalent-assembly"principle for probe design.