Quantitative sensing of microviscosity in protocells and amyloid materials using fluorescence lifetime imaging of molecular rotors

Molecular rotors are fluorophores that have a fluorescence quantum yield that depends upon intermolecular rotation. The fluorescence quantum yield, intensity and lifetime of molecular rotors all vary as functions of viscosity, as high viscosities inhibit intermolecular rotation and cause an increase in the non-radiative decay rate. As such, molecular rotors can be used to probe viscosity on microscopic scales. Here, we apply fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to measure the fluorescence lifetimes of three different molecular rotors, in order to determine the microscopic viscosity in two model systems with significant biological interest. First, the constituents of a novel protocell – a model of a prebiotic cell – were studied using the molecular rotors BODIPY C10 and kiton red. Second, amyloid formation was investigated using the molecular rotor Cy3.