Fluorescent probes for biology

Live-cell fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool to study cellular biology on a molecular scale, yet its use is held back by the paucity of suitable fluorescent probes. We established a general strategy to transform regular fluorophores of different colors into fluorogenic probes with excellent cell permeability and low unspecific background signal. The resulting probes are suitable for different types of superresolution fluorescence microscopy and allow new insights into biological processes.