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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Molecular Rotors in Living Cells
Published on: February 9, 2012
Time-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging for intracellular pH sensing in living tissues
Carsten Hille1, Maik Berg, Lena Bressel
1Institute of Chemistry, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Abstract:
pH sensing in living cells represents one of the most prominent topics in biochemistry and physiology. In this study we performed one-photon and two-photon time-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging with a laser-scanning microscope using the time-correlated single-photon counting technique for imaging intracellular pH levels. The suitability of different commercial fluorescence dyes for lifetime-based pH sensing is discussed on the basis of in vitro as well of in situ measurements. Although the tested dyes are suitable for intensity-based ratiometric measurements, for lifetime-based techniques in the time-domain so far only BCECF seems to meet the requirements of reliable intracellular pH recordings in living cells.
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