InverTau

The HORIBA InverTau is a fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) system designed for widefield time-gated imaging of biological samples, including live cells and tissues. Unlike TCSPC-based point-scanning FLIM systems, the InverTau uses a gated intensified CCD (ICCD) camera to acquire fluorescence lifetime images of an entire field of view simultaneously, enabling faster acquisition and better compatibility with dynamic biological processes where point-by-point scanning would be too slow. The InverTau mounts on standard inverted fluorescence microscopes, making it compatible with most laboratory microscope setups including confocal/spinning disk systems. It measures fluorescence lifetimes in the nanosecond range from biological fluorophores, FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer) biosensors, environment-sensitive probes, and autofluorescence. FLIM applications in biology include FRET efficiency mapping to detect protein-protein interactions, intracellular viscosity and pH sensing using lifetime-sensitive probes, and discrimination of fluorescent proteins in multi-fluorophore samples. The time-gated approach is particularly well suited for FLIM-FRET experiments where the lifetime change upon FRET is the primary readout. NewRoad provides the HORIBA InverTau in Israel for cell biology, biophysics, and biomedical research groups performing live cell FLIM measurements.