Real‐Time Spatiotemporal Measurement of Extracellular Signaling Molecules Using an Aptamer Switch‐Conjugated Hydrogel Matrix (Adv. Mater. 4/2024)

Cellular Signaling Cells communicate through secreted biomolecules, however there are few tools to directly record these signals. In article number 2306704, Chan Ho Park, H. Tom Soh, and co‐workers report that embedding fluorescent aptamer sensors within a biocompatible hydrogel enables tracking of cell‐to‐cell signaling with molecular specificity and high temporal resolution, demonstrated by monitoring of the molecular signals driving slime mold cell migration. This technology should be applicable for studying a wide range of biological systems.