Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is an emerging imaging technique that can indicate environmental factors such as pH and redox potential by the effect of these factors on the fluorescence lifetimes of fluorophores. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are highly sensitive to environment and so are ideal for use in FLIM, although certain experimental parameters must be carefully considered for QD imaging to account for their long lifetimes and two-photon behavior. We image the uptake of three types of QDs in cultured fibroblasts and show some preliminary results on the effects of endosomes and lysosomes on QD lifetimes. These results indicate the feasibility of FLIM for studies using QDs in live cells.

Date Published: 22 February 2013
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 8595, Colloidal Nanocrystals for Biomedical Applications VIII, 85950R (22 February 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2013379

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8595:
Colloidal Nanocrystals for Biomedical Applications VIII
Wolfgang J. Parak; Marek Osinski; Kenji Yamamoto, Editor(s)