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Title: Generative adversarial network enables rapid and robust fluorescence lifetime image analysis in live cells
Abstract

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a powerful tool to quantify molecular compositions and study molecular states in complex cellular environment as the lifetime readings are not biased by fluorophore concentration or excitation power. However, the current methods to generate FLIM images are either computationally intensive or unreliable when the number of photons acquired at each pixel is low. Here we introduce a new deep learning-based method termedflimGANE(fluorescencelifetimeimaging based onGenerativeAdversarialNetworkEstimation) that can rapidly generate accurate and high-quality FLIM images even in the photon-starved conditions. We demonstrated our model is up to 2,800 times faster than the gold standard time-domain maximum likelihood estimation (TD_MLE) and thatflimGANEprovides a more accurate analysis of low-photon-count histograms in barcode identification, cellular structure visualization, Förster resonance energy transfer characterization, and metabolic state analysis in live cells. With its advantages in speed and reliability,flimGANEis particularly useful in fundamental biological research and clinical applications, where high-speed analysis is critical.

 
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Award ID(s):
2041345
NSF-PAR ID:
10361438
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Nature Publishing Group
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Communications Biology
Volume:
5
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2399-3642
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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