Excitation light-induced phototoxicity during fluorescence imaging

Abstract

Fluorescence microscopy has revolutionized life science research. It is a powerful technique to visualize molecular structures, physiological functions, and dynamic processes in living cells, tissues, and organisms. Excitation-light and/or excited-fluorescent proteins-mediated dysregulation in cell physiology are widely known but poorly considered. Although there are vast applications of fluorescence microscopy in research, imaging results may suffer from the excitation-light-induced artefacts. Here, we highlight potential excitation light-induced alterations in cell functions thereby misinterpretation of imaging results and strategies to minimize common artefacts that can be produced during imaging experiments.