Fiber-optic system for monitoring fast photoactivation dynamics of optical highlighter fluorescent proteins

Characterizing the photoactivation performance of optical highlighter fluorescent proteins is crucial to the realization of photoactivation localization microscopy. In contrast to those fluorescence-based approaches that require complex data processing and calibration procedures, here we report a simple and quantitative alternative, which relies on the measurement of small absorption spectra changes over time with a fiber-optic system. Using Dronpa as a representative highlighter protein, we have investigated the capacity of this system in monitoring the fast photoactivation process.