Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Real Time Monitoring of Intracellular Bile Acid Dynamics Using a Genetically Encoded FRET-based Bile Acid Sensor
Published on: January 4, 2016
Single-cell imaging of liver metabolic dynamics using fluorescent biosensors
Israel Pérez-Chávez1, Eduardo H Gilglioni2, Daria Ezeriņa3
1VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut Voor Biotechnologie, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Brussels Center for Redox Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Signal Transduction and Metabolism Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
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Traditional metabolic studies rely on bulk tissue analyses, masking the cellular heterogeneity that underlies disease progression. Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors now enable real-time, single-cell imaging of dynamic metabolic processes in the liver. These tools provide insights into the metabolic reprogramming in conditions such as chronic obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). By tracking specific metabolites involved in glycolysis, lipid oxidation, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, biosensors can reveal how these pathways respond to diverse stimuli. In this review we outline the core principles of fluorescent biosensors, provide specific recommendations for their usage, suggest possible applications in liver metabolism research, and discuss current technical challenges as well as emerging opportunities in this rapidly advancing field.
