Investigate molecular dynamics in live cells and organisms using fluorescence correlation-based microscopy methods

The scientific drive to understand life in ever greater detail continues to push forward the development of microscopy technology. Today’s turn-key fluorescent microscopy systems allow scientists to investigate subcellular, sub-organelle, and molecular structures in more detail and complexity than ever before. While image-based microscopy cannot always provide all the answers when it comes to molecular behavior, microscopy and spectroscopy-based technologies and techniques do allow deeper insights into molecular characteristics in vivo within their environment. Fluorescence correlation-based methods, including Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy (FCCS), array detector-based FCS such as Dynamics Profiler, single- and multi-color-based Raster Image Correlation Spectroscopy (RICS) are a group of microscopy techniques that allows the scientists to investigate the molecular dynamics in-vivo with great precision and flexibility. Questions such as local concentration, molecular size and mobility, oligomerization and aggregation, flow speed and direction, and protein-protein interaction, can be efficiently addressed in living cells and organisms. In this talk, we will introduce the basic principles of these methods, highlight the pros and cons, and focus on a few typical applications.