Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

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

Pan-Optical Shadow Imaging of Brain Microanatomy.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026

Same author

Structurally exclusive Teneurin complexes orchestrate divergent programs in early cortical development.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Extracellular space diffusion modelling identifies distinct functional advantages of glutamatergic and GABAergic synapse geometries.

Fluids and barriers of the CNS·2026

Same author

Perinatal liver sympathetic innervation governs body size.

Communications biology·2026

Same author

Extracellular space diffusion modelling identifies distinct functional advantages of archetypical glutamatergic and GABAergic synapse geometries.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Live STED imaging of functional neuroanatomy.

Nature protocols·2025

Same journal

PI3K/Akt pathway in ischemic stroke: A central regulator of neuronal survival and repair.

Experimental neurology·2026

Same journal

Hepatokines and stellakines in liver and neurological diseases: The liver-brain axis.

Experimental neurology·2026

Same journal

Structural dynamics of α-Synuclein: Multi-scale imaging insights into pathological progression across Synucleinopathies.

Experimental neurology·2026

Same journal

Retraction notice to 'Mitochondrial ferritin upregulation reduced oxidative stress and blood-brain-barrier disruption by maintaining cellular iron homeostasis in a neonatal rat model of germinal matrix hemorrhage' [Experimental Neurology 374 (2024) 114703].

Experimental neurology·2026

Same journal

Sivelestat sodium alleviates blood-brain barrier dysfunction after traumatic brain injury by reduction of NETs formation.

Experimental neurology·2026

Same journal

Corrigendum to "Primary and Immortalized Microglia Exhibit Divergent Responses to Hemoglobin" [Experimental Neurology 403 (2026) 115838].

Experimental neurology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Super-Resolution Imaging to Study Co-Localization of Proteins and Synaptic Markers in Primary Neurons

Super-Resolution Imaging to Study Co-Localization of Proteins and Synaptic Markers in Primary Neurons

Published on: October 31, 2020

Superresolution imaging for neuroscience.

Jan Tønnesen¹, U Valentin Nägerl

¹Université Bordeaux Segalen, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297, 146 rue Léo Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France.

Experimental Neurology

|October 16, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Superresolution fluorescence microscopy breaks optical limits, transforming cell biology and neuroscience research. Techniques like STED, PALM/STORM, and SIM enable nanoscale imaging of neuronal structures and protein dynamics.

More Related Videos

Micron-scale Resolution Optical Tomography of Entire Mouse Brains with Confocal Light Sheet Microscopy

Micron-scale Resolution Optical Tomography of Entire Mouse Brains with Confocal Light Sheet Microscopy

Published on: October 8, 2013

Ultrasound Localization Microscopy for Super-Resolution Mapping of the Rodent Brain Microvasculature

Ultrasound Localization Microscopy for Super-Resolution Mapping of the Rodent Brain Microvasculature

Published on: November 14, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Super-Resolution Imaging to Study Co-Localization of Proteins and Synaptic Markers in Primary Neurons

Super-Resolution Imaging to Study Co-Localization of Proteins and Synaptic Markers in Primary Neurons

Published on: October 31, 2020

Micron-scale Resolution Optical Tomography of Entire Mouse Brains with Confocal Light Sheet Microscopy

Micron-scale Resolution Optical Tomography of Entire Mouse Brains with Confocal Light Sheet Microscopy

Published on: October 8, 2013

Ultrasound Localization Microscopy for Super-Resolution Mapping of the Rodent Brain Microvasculature

Ultrasound Localization Microscopy for Super-Resolution Mapping of the Rodent Brain Microvasculature

Published on: November 14, 2025

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Neuroscience
Optical Microscopy

Background:

Classic optical microscopy is limited by the diffraction barrier.
Superresolution fluorescence microscopy offers a path beyond these limitations.
This technology has significant potential for cell-biological research, particularly in neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the main superresolution fluorescence microscopy techniques: STED, PALM/STORM, and SIM.
To cover the theoretical and practical aspects of these methods.
To highlight discoveries in synapse biology enabled by these techniques.

Main Methods:

Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy.
Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (PALM) and Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM).
Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM).

Main Results:

Superresolution techniques allow nanoscale imaging of neuronal morphology.
Applications include visualizing cellular organelles, protein distributions, and protein trafficking.
These methods have led to new discoveries in synapse biology.

Conclusions:

Superresolution microscopy is revolutionizing cell biology and neuroscience.
STED, PALM/STORM, and SIM provide unprecedented insights into cellular structures and functions.
The review underscores the value of these advanced imaging techniques for future research.