Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

13:15
Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy
Published on: July 18, 2014
Nanoscopy with more than 100,000 'doughnuts'
Andriy Chmyrov1, Jan Keller, Tim Grotjohann
1Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.
Nature Methods
|July 9, 2013
Summary
This study introduces a parallelized RESOLFT nanoscopy technique using orthogonal light waves. This method achieves super-resolution imaging of living cells in under one second.
Area of Science:
- Optics
- Microscopy
- Biophysics
Background:
- Super-resolution microscopy techniques are crucial for visualizing cellular structures.
- Existing methods like RESOLFT (reversible saturable optical fluorescence transitions) face challenges in speed and parallelization.
- Need for faster, high-resolution imaging of dynamic biological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a parallelized RESOLFT nanoscopy method for rapid super-resolution imaging.
- To improve imaging speed and efficiency in biological samples.
- To demonstrate isotropic resolution in the focal plane.
Main Methods:
- Parallelization of RESOLFT nanoscopy using two orthogonally superimposed standing light waves.
- Utilizing the intensity minima of the light pattern as 'doughnuts' for imaging.
- Applying nonlinear structured illumination principles.
Main Results:
- Achieved effective parallelization of RESOLFT nanoscopy.
- Demonstrated isotropic resolution in the focal plane.
- Successfully performed super-resolution imaging of living cells in <1 second within a 120 µm × 100 µm field of view using 116,000 doughnut-shaped focal spots.
Conclusions:
- The parallelized RESOLFT approach significantly enhances imaging speed.
- This technique offers isotropic resolution, simplifying imaging protocols.
- Enables rapid, high-resolution observation of dynamic cellular events.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Force Microscopy
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
Overview of Microscopy Techniques
The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...

