The use of two-color two-photon (2c2p) excitation easily extends the wavelength range of Ti:sapphire lasers to the UV, widening the scope of its applications especially in biological sciences. We report observation of 2c2p excitation fluorescence of p-terphenyl (PTP), 2-methyl-5-t-butyl-p-quaterphenyl (DMQ) and tryptophan upon excitation with 400 and 800 nm wavelengths using the second harmonic and fundamental wavelength of a mode-locked Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. This excitation is energetically equivalent to a one-photon excitation wavelength at 266 nm. The fluorescence signal is observed only when both wavelengths are spatially and temporally overlapping. Adjustment of the relative delay of the two laser pulses renders a cross correlation curve which is in good agreement with the pulse width of our laser. The fluorescence signal is linearly dependent on the intensity of each of the two colors but quadratically on the total incident illumination power of both colors. In fluorescence microscopy, the use of a combination of intense IR and low-intensity blue light as a substitute for UV light for excitation can have numerous advantages. Additionally, the effect of differently polarized excitation photons relative to each other is demonstrated. This offers information about different transition symmetries and yields deeper insight into the two-photon excitation process.

We present the first realization of a Two-Color Two-Photon Laser-Scanning Microscope (2c2pLSM) and UV fluorescence images of cells acquired with this technique. Fluorescence is induced by two-color two-photon absorption using the fundamental and the second harmonic of a Ti:Sa femtosecond laser. Simultaneous absorption of an 800 nm photon and a 400 nm photon energetically corresponds to one-photon absorption at 266 nm. This technique for Laser-Scanning Microscopy extends the excitation wavelength range of a Ti:Sa powered fluorescence microscope to the UV. In addition to the known advantages of multi-photon microscopy like intrinsic 3D resolution, reduced photo damage and high penetration depth 2c2pLSM offers the possibility of using standard high numeric aperture objectives for UV fluorescence imaging. The effective excitation wavelength of 266 nm corresponds especially well to the excitation spectrum of tryptophan. Hence, it is an ideal tool for label free fluorescence studies and imaging of intrinsic protein fluorescence which originates mainly from tryptophan. Thus a very sensitive natural lifetime probe can be used for monitoring protein reactions or changes in conformation. First measurements of living MIN-6 cells reveal differences between the UV fluorescence lifetimes of the nucleus and cytoplasm. The significance of this method was further demonstrated by monitoring the binding of biotin to avidin.

Two-color two-photon (2c2p) excitation fluorescence is used to monitor the enzymatic cleavage of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by subtilisin. Fluorescence is generated by irradiation with spatially and temporally overlapping femtosecond laser beams resulting in simultaneous absorption of an 800 and a 400 nm photon. Thereby, excitation of the fluorescent amino acid tryptophan present in BSA corresponds to an effective one-photon wavelength of 266 nm. The progress of protein cleavage is monitored by time-resolved fluorescence analysis. The fluorescence lifetime of tryptophan decreases during the reaction. This demonstrates a novel label-free multiphoton observation technique for conformational changes of proteins containing tryptophan. Due to the strong 2c2p fluorescence signal it is suitable for fast evaluation and monitoring of protein reactions. The course of the reaction is monitored simultaneously by gel electrophoresis. In contrast to conventional one-photon techniques, 2c2p excitation enables label-free protein fluorescence studies without irradiating the sample with UV light. Due to the dependence of the excitation on the power of both laser beams, excitation is limited to a relatively small focal volume. This results in dramatically reduced overall photodamage compared to direct UV irradiation. This method can be easily extended to microscopy imaging techniques.

A short overview of the principles and applications of the two-colour two-photon (2C2P) excitation of fluorescence by using femtosecond pulses is given. Fluorescence is generated by the simultaneous absorption of an 800 nm photon and a 400 nm photon of overlapping laser beams of a titanium:sapphire laser. Two examples of its application are presented: firstly, it is used to monitor the enzymatic cleavage of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by elastase. The fluorescent amino acid tryptophan present in BSA is excited corresponding to an effective one-photon wavelength of 266 nm. Secondly, it is shown how one can utilize the different polarizations of the excited beams for determining the symmetry of the excited states of molecules, exemplarily shown for p-terphenyl in cyclohexane. Further applications and experiments for 2C2P are suggested for using it in UV-fluorescence microscopy and for determining the properties of the electronic states of biomolecules by using differently polarized photons.

In the last decade, the two-photon fluorescence laser-scanning microscopy (TPLSM) has become an indispensable tool for the bioscientific and biomedical research. TPLSM techniques as well as their applications are currently experiencing a dramatic evolution and represent the focus of many biophysical research projects. In this work, we compare in detail two steady-state TPLSM techniques, i.e. single-beam scanning microscopy combined with point-detection (SB-PMT) and multi-beam scanning microscopy combined with synchronous detection (MB-CCD), as far as their technical characteristics relevant for the bioscientific research are concerned, i.e. optical performance and imaging speed. We demonstrate that the SB-PMT technique is more adequate for deep-tissue imaging (few 100 µm depth) than the MB-CCD technique, whereas only the MB-CCD technique enables high-speed imaging for characterizing the dynamics of fast biological phenomena. Novel applications of these techniques are additionally discussed. Moreover, we employ a time-resolved TPLSM technique, i.e. biexponential fluorescence lifetime imaging based on the cellular fluorescence of the nicotinamide pyridine dinucleotides NADH and NADPH, which allows us to probe for the first time the redox cellular metabolism of MIN6 cells (mutated insulin producing pancreatic β-cells) as well as to show the potential of this method for the specific and dynamic investigation of NADH-and NADPH-dependent cellular processes.