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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Real-time Imaging of Single Engineered RNA Transcripts in Living Cells Using Ratiometric Bimolecular Beacons

Real-time Imaging of Single Engineered RNA Transcripts in Living Cells Using Ratiometric Bimolecular Beacons

Published on: August 6, 2014

Imaging of endogenous RNA using genetically encoded probes.

Takeaki Ozawa¹, Yoshio Umezawa

¹Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan.

Current Protocols in Chemical Biology

|July 10, 2013

Summary

Visualize RNA in single cells using fluorescent probes. This method reveals RNA localization and function, overcoming limitations of bulk measurements for deeper biological insights.

Keywords:

GFP RNA fluorescence imaging molecular beacon

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Last Updated: May 9, 2026

Real-time Imaging of Single Engineered RNA Transcripts in Living Cells Using Ratiometric Bimolecular Beacons

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Published on: August 6, 2014

A Rapid High-throughput Method for Mapping Ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) on Human pre-mRNA

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Visualizing and Tracking Endogenous mRNAs in Live Drosophila melanogaster Egg Chambers

Visualizing and Tracking Endogenous mRNAs in Live Drosophila melanogaster Egg Chambers

Published on: June 4, 2019

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Cell Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Bulk measurements obscure localized RNA transcription and function within single cells.
Understanding RNA dynamics requires single-cell resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a protocol for visualizing endogenous RNAs in single living cells.
To enable the study of RNA localization, function, and dynamics.

Main Methods:

Design and construction of genetically encoded fluorescent probes for RNA binding.
Characterization of these fluorescent probes.
Imaging of target RNAs in living cells using the developed probes.

Main Results:

Successful visualization of endogenous RNAs within single living cells.
Demonstration of a generally applicable method for RNA imaging.
Potential for elucidating novel functions of localized RNAs.

Conclusions:

This protocol facilitates the study of RNA localization and dynamics at the single-cell level.
The method offers a powerful tool for discovering new RNA functions.