Creating coveted bioluminescence colors for simultaneous multi-color bioimaging
Mitsuru Hattori, Tetsuichi Wazawa, Mariko Orioka, Yuki Hiruta, Takeharu Nagai
Abstract
Bioluminescence, an optical marker that does not require excitation by light, allows researchers to simultaneously observe multiple targets, each exhibiting a different color. Notably, the colors of the bioluminescent proteins must sufficiently vary to enable simultaneous detection. Here, we aimed to introduce a method that can be used to expand the color variation by tuning dual-acceptor bioluminescence resonance energy transfer. Using this approach, we could visualize multiple targets with up to 20 colors through single-shot acquisition using a color complementary metal-oxide semiconductor camera. Overall, this method enables simple and simultaneous observation of multiple biological targets and phenomena.