Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026
06:50
Super-Resolution Live Cell Imaging of Subcellular Structures
Published on: January 13, 2021
5.4K
STED microscopy--super-resolution bio-imaging utilizing a stimulated emission depletion
Kohei Otomo1, Terumasa Hibi2, Yuichi Kozawa3
1Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 20 Nishi 10, Kita, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan.
Microscopy (Oxford, England)
|July 9, 2015
Summary
Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy offers super-resolution imaging by overcoming the diffraction limit. This article details a new two-photon excitation STED system, highlighting its potential and future advancements.
Area of Science:
- Optical microscopy
- Super-resolution imaging
- Biophysics
Background:
- Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy is a key super-resolution technique.
- STED microscopy builds upon laser scanning microscopy (LSM) principles.
- LSM offers advantages like confocal and two-photon excitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explain the principles of STED microscopy.
- To introduce a novel two-photon excitation STED microscopy system.
- To discuss future directions in STED technology.
Main Methods:
- Review of STED microscopy principles.
- Description of a newly developed two-photon excitation STED system.
- Analysis of recent research findings.
Main Results:
- Detailed explanation of STED microscopy operation.
- Introduction of a functional two-photon excitation STED microscope.
- Compilation of current research outcomes.
Conclusions:
- STED microscopy provides super-resolution beyond the diffraction limit.
- The developed two-photon excitation STED system shows promise.
- Future research will focus on technological advancements in STED microscopy.
Related Concept Videos
01:37Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy
14.8K
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...
14.8K
01:18Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy
12.2K
Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution.
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
12.2K
01:25Overview of Electron Microscopy
16.6K
The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
16.6K
01:28Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology
1.0K
Three-dimensional imaging techniques are essential in cell biology, allowing researchers to visualize intricate cellular structures with high resolution. Two prominent methods, Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy (DIC) and Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM), provide distinct advantages for imaging live and thick specimens, respectively.Differential Interference Contrast MicroscopyDIC microscopy enhances contrast in transparent, unstained samples by converting phase...
1.0K