--- res: bibo_abstract: - Optical sensors based on the phenomenon of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) are powerful tools that have advanced the study of small molecules in biological systems. However, sensor construction is not trivial and often requires multiple rounds of engineering or an ability to screen large numbers of variants. A method that would allow the accurate rational design of FRET sensors would expedite the production of biologically useful sensors. Here, we present Rangefinder, a computational algorithm that allows rapid in silico screening of dye attachment sites in a ligand-binding protein for the conjugation of a dye molecule to act as a Förster acceptor for a fused fluorescent protein. We present three ratiometric fluorescent sensors designed with Rangefinder, including a maltose sensor with a dynamic range of >300% and the first sensors for the most abundant sialic acid in human cells, N-acetylneuraminic acid. Provided a ligand-binding protein exists, it is our expectation that this model will facilitate the design of an optical sensor for any small molecule of interest.@eng bibo_authorlist: - foaf_Person: foaf_givenName: Joshua foaf_name: Mitchell, Joshua foaf_surname: Mitchell - foaf_Person: foaf_givenName: Jason foaf_name: Whitfield, Jason foaf_surname: Whitfield - foaf_Person: foaf_givenName: William foaf_name: Zhang, William foaf_surname: Zhang - foaf_Person: foaf_givenName: Christian foaf_name: Henneberger, Christian foaf_surname: Henneberger - foaf_Person: foaf_givenName: Harald L foaf_name: Janovjak, Harald L foaf_surname: Janovjak foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=33BA6C30-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87 orcid: 0000-0002-8023-9315 - foaf_Person: foaf_givenName: Megan foaf_name: O'Mara, Megan foaf_surname: O'Mara - foaf_Person: foaf_givenName: Colin foaf_name: Jackson, Colin foaf_surname: Jackson bibo_doi: 10.1021/acssensors.6b00576 bibo_issue: '11' bibo_volume: 1 dct_date: 2016^xs_gYear dct_language: eng dct_publisher: American Chemical Society@ dct_title: 'Rangefinder: A semisynthetic FRET sensor design algorithm@' ...