There is a critical need for high-speed multiparameter photophysical measurements of large libraries of fluorescent probe variants for imaging and biosensor development. We present a microfluidic flow cytometer that rapidly assays 104–105 member cell-based fluorophore libraries, simultaneously measuring fluorescence lifetime and photobleaching. Together, these photophysical characteristics determine imaging performance. We demonstrate the ability to resolve the diverse photophysical characteristics of different library types and the ability to identify rare populations.

There is a critical need for high-speed multiparameter photophysical measurements of large libraries of fluorescent probe variants for imaging and biosensor development. We present a microfluidic flow cytometer that rapidly assays 104–105 member cell-based fluorophore libraries, simultaneously measuring fluorescence lifetime and photobleaching. Together, these photophysical characteristics determine imaging performance. We demonstrate the ability to resolve the diverse photophysical characteristics of different library types and the ability to identify rare populations.