Lucky imaging: improved localization accuracy for single molecule imaging
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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Fluorescence Imaging with One-nanometer Accuracy FIONA
Published on: September 26, 2014
Bríd Cronin1, Ben de Wet, Mark I Wallace
1Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
We apply the astronomical data-analysis technique, Lucky imaging, to improve resolution in single molecule fluorescence microscopy. We show that by selectively discarding data points from individual single-molecule trajectories, imaging resolution can be improved by a factor of 1.6 for individual fluorophores and up to 5.6 for more complex images. The method is illustrated using images of fluorescent dye molecules and quantum dots, and the in vivo imaging of fluorescently labeled linker for activation of T cells.
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