Microscopy technique achieves 156-nanometer spatial resolution
Researchers developed a microscopy method that captures rapid cellular processes at 156 nanometers. The technique combines structured illumination microscopy with fluorescence lifetime measurements. Bielefeld University and the University of Vienna researchers built the method under the European CHEM-SCAN project.
Previous imaging methods struggled to combine high spatial resolution with molecular environment data. The new FLIM-SIM technique captures fast imaging rates and a large field of view simultaneously. Researchers demonstrated this capability using a human bone cancer cell line.
Bielefeld University and University of Vienna researchers combine SIM and FLIM
Structured illumination microscopy makes cellular structures visible beyond conventional light microscope limits. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy measures how long fluorescent molecules emit light. That lifetime shifts depending on pH and other molecular environment changes.
By combining super-resolution with fluorescence lifetime measurements, we can not only see where certain molecules are located within a cell. The results appeared in the scientific journal Optica.
European CHEM-SCAN project targets cancer metastasis and drug effects
The European Innovation Council funds the CHEM-SCAN project. Researchers investigate how chemotherapeutic agents act on tumors and metastases. Specialized fluorescent dyes and FLIM measurements track cancer cell states during treatment.
Our results open up a new dimension of contrast for super-resolution microscopy,
Professor Dr. Thomas Huser said. We can investigate the fine structure of cells at high speed while simultaneously obtaining information about their molecular environment.
The technique provides data on drug effects and potential harmful side effects inside individual cells.
University of Tokyo team captures 19.2 images per second in 3D
Separately, researchers at the University of Tokyo developed a high-speed microscopy technique capturing 19.2 images per second. That rate creates 3D videos of dynamic processes inside living cells. Previous methods of label-free mid-infrared photothermal tomography managed less than 0.05 images per second.
Common questions about advanced cellular microscopy techniques
What is the spatial resolution of the FLIM-SIM method?
The new method developed by Bielefeld University and the University of Vienna achieves a spatial resolution of 156 nanometers. It combines super-resolution microscopy with fluorescence lifetime measurements to capture rapid cellular processes.
Which funding body supports the CHEM-SCAN project?
The European Innovation Council funds the CHEM-SCAN project, which applies the FLIM-SIM technique to investigate how chemotherapeutic agents affect cancer cells and metastases.
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