Is there a commercial need for a bright orange fluorophore?

Answer 1

Yes, imagine you are driving on a dark night. No lights around and there's this important road sign which you must see unless you want to cash in your chips, that where such chemicals are a great help. And that is just one of the applications.

Answer 2

Yes, biotechnology always has need of fluorescent tagging agents for labelling various nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), proteins, and other organic compounds involved in genetics research. And that is just the tip of the iceberg!