An international research group led by Keisuke Goda (professor at the University of Tokyo), Kuniyasu Niizuma (professor at Tohoku University), and Hiroshi Kanno (assistant professor at Tohoku University / research assistant professor at the University of Tokyo), has developed the world’s fastest fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). This breakthrough was achieved by integrating a simultaneous multipoint fluorescence lifetime measurement technique using a continuous wave laser into the microscope. The group successfully captured images of cells flowing through a microfluidic channel at speeds exceeding 10,000 cells per second and conducted the first-ever analysis of fluorescence lifetime images of a large number of cells. Their findings demonstrate the potential of this microscope in various cellular analyses, such as identifying different fluorescent molecules within single cells and detecting changes in the state of cell nuclei treated with anticancer drugs. This newly developed FLIM is expected to contribute significantly to future advancements in cell biology, pathology, and pharmacology by enabling detailed analysis of large numbers of cells in a short time, as a new form of flow cytometry.
This result has been accepted by the journal Nature Communications. It was published online on September 4, 2024.
Kanno, H., Hiramatsu, K., Mikami, H. et al. High-throughput fluorescence lifetime imaging flow cytometry. Nat Commun 15:7376 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51125-y