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Updated: May 13, 2026
09:45
Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Molecular Rotors in Living Cells
Published on: February 9, 2012
Temperature measurement in the microscopic regime: a comparison between fluorescence lifetime- and intensity-based
C Paviolo1, A H A Clayton, S L McArthur
1Industrial Research Institute Swinburne, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
Journal of Microscopy
|March 26, 2013
Summary
This study explored using Rhodamine B dye to measure temperature inside single cells. Encapsulating the dye improved accuracy, suggesting a method for precise cellular temperature mapping.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cellular Biology
- Optical Sensing
Background:
- Fluorescent indicators are used for temperature monitoring in microfluidics.
- Measuring temperature in complex biological tissues like cells is challenging.
- Existing methods face limitations due to chemical and structural complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate resolving temperature distributions within single cells.
- To compare fluorescence intensity- and lifetime-based techniques using Rhodamine B.
- To assess the feasibility of cellular temperature mapping.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Rhodamine B (RhB) as a temperature-sensitive fluorescent dye.
- Compared fluorescence intensity and fluorescence lifetime measurements.
- Investigated temperature mapping within the cytoplasm of single cells.
Main Results:
- Fluorescence lifetime-temperature relationship is highly dependent on the biological environment.
- Intensity-based method achieved partial success in mapping temperature distributions.
- Achieved a resolution better than ±0.3°C under ideal conditions, reduced to ±1.8°C by environmental variations.
Conclusions:
- Environmental variations significantly impact temperature measurement accuracy in cells.
- Encapsulation and immobilization of fluorophores are crucial for reliable cellular temperature sensing.
- This approach offers potential for improved cellular thermal analysis.
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