Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy01:37

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been developed.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dystrophic changes of nigrostriatal axons harboring a Synj1 Parkinson mutation suggest catastrophic failure of endocytic mechanisms.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Primary cilium disassembly - from mechanisms to roles in physiology and disease.

Journal of cell science·2026
Same author

A multimodal adaptive optical microscope for in vivo imaging from molecules to organisms.

Nature methods·2026
Same author

Pearling drives mitochondrial DNA nucleoid distribution.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Unstructured transcription factor interactions enable emergent specificity.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Erratum: YAP condensates are highly organized hubs.

iScience·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Super-resolution Imaging of the Natural Killer Cell Immunological Synapse on a Glass-supported Planar Lipid Bilayer
09:56

Super-resolution Imaging of the Natural Killer Cell Immunological Synapse on a Glass-supported Planar Lipid Bilayer

Published on: February 11, 2015

Imaging intracellular fluorescent proteins at nanometer resolution.

Eric Betzig1, George H Patterson, Rachid Sougrat

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA. betzige@janelia.hhmi.org

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 12, 2006
PubMed
Summary

We developed photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) for high-resolution optical imaging of intracellular proteins. This technique achieves nanometer resolution by localizing and assembling data from photoactivatable fluorescent proteins.

More Related Videos

Ground State Depletion Super-resolution Imaging in Mammalian Cells
07:55

Ground State Depletion Super-resolution Imaging in Mammalian Cells

Published on: November 5, 2017

Oligomerization Dynamics of Cell Surface Receptors in Living Cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy Combined with Number and Brightness Analysis
10:43

Oligomerization Dynamics of Cell Surface Receptors in Living Cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy Combined with Number and Brightness Analysis

Published on: November 6, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Super-resolution Imaging of the Natural Killer Cell Immunological Synapse on a Glass-supported Planar Lipid Bilayer
09:56

Super-resolution Imaging of the Natural Killer Cell Immunological Synapse on a Glass-supported Planar Lipid Bilayer

Published on: February 11, 2015

Ground State Depletion Super-resolution Imaging in Mammalian Cells
07:55

Ground State Depletion Super-resolution Imaging in Mammalian Cells

Published on: November 5, 2017

Oligomerization Dynamics of Cell Surface Receptors in Living Cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy Combined with Number and Brightness Analysis
10:43

Oligomerization Dynamics of Cell Surface Receptors in Living Cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy Combined with Number and Brightness Analysis

Published on: November 6, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • Understanding intracellular protein localization is crucial for cell function.
  • Existing optical microscopy methods have limitations in resolving nanoscale protein distributions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel super-resolution optical imaging technique.
  • To enable visualization of specific proteins within cellular structures at nanometer resolution.

Main Methods:

  • Photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) was developed.
  • Sparse subsets of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins were activated, localized to 2-25 nm, and bleached.
  • Aggregate position data were assembled into super-resolution images.

Main Results:

  • The method achieved nanometer spatial resolution for optical imaging.
  • Successfully imaged intracellular proteins in lysosomes and mitochondria.
  • Visualized vinculin at focal adhesions, actin in lamellipodia, and retroviral Gag protein at the plasma membrane in fixed cells.

Conclusions:

  • Photoactivated localization microscopy provides a powerful tool for nanoscale protein imaging.
  • Enables detailed investigation of protein organization within organelles and cellular structures.
  • Facilitates research in cell biology and virology by revealing protein distribution patterns.