Abstract
Cellular functions are fundamentally regulated by intracellular temperature. However, the method to analyze intracellular temperature had been completely lacked. We have developed a novel method to visualize temperature distribution inside living cells using a novel fluorescent thermometer and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Here, we describe the detail of this intracellular temperature imaging method, particularly about the fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. We also discuss the results obtained from the intracellular temperature imaging and briefly introduce our current efforts in aim to have this method easily available to other researchers and to introduce a new point of view – temperature – into the biological research.
