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

Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy

Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy

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...

Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Confocal microscopy is an advanced microscopic technique. The prime advantage of the confocal microscope over other microscopy techniques is its ability to block the out-of-focus light from the illuminated samples using pinholes. It is widely used with fluorescence optics to obtain high-resolution, sharp contrast images. Unlike optical microscopes, confocal microscopes use a focused beam of light laser to scan the entire sample surface at different z-planes. These microscopes are, therefore,...

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Coupling Single Molecules to DNA-Based Optical Antennas with Position and Orientation Control.

ACS photonics·2026

Same author

Distinct nanoscale membrane organizations of mucins and <i>trans</i>-sialidases in <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i>.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Nanoscale Spatial Organization of ARC High- and Low-Order Assemblies at Excitatory Synapses.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026

Same author

Molecular mapping in DNA-PAINT via modified Gaussian Mixture Modeling.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Open-source sub-nanometer stabilization system for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.

Light, science & applications·2025

Same author

Direct single-molecule detection and super-resolution imaging with a low-cost portable smartphone-based microscope.

Nature communications·2025

Same journal

Compressed multi-scale entropy and its application in mechanical fault diagnosis.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026

Same journal

Bidirectional drive and multi-resolution adjustment across frequency bands in inertial impact piezoelectric motors via multimodal resonant vibration.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026

Same journal

A magnetic field sensor based on flaky Terfenol-D material and dual fiber grating.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026

Same journal

A novel E-field eight-way cavity combiner for high-power S-band applications.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026

Same journal

Constant radius blade spring suspended bench for vibration isolation.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026

Same journal

Qualification of infrared optical fibers and emitters for a spectrometer for in situ planetary exploration: Results from the TRIS (TRansmission and Illumination System) project.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Open Source High Content Analysis Utilizing Automated Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

Open Source High Content Analysis Utilizing Automated Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

Published on: January 18, 2017

Note: Tormenta: An open source Python-powered control software for camera based optical microscopy.

Federico M Barabas¹, Luciano A Masullo¹, Fernando D Stefani¹

¹Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencas (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|January 3, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Open-source software now offers cost-free alternatives for scientific instrument control. Tormenta provides a modular, Python-based solution for camera-based optical microscopes, including features for advanced fluorescence nanoscopy.

More Related Videos

Multimodal Volumetric Retinal Imaging by Oblique Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy oSLO and Optical Coherence Tomography OCT

Multimodal Volumetric Retinal Imaging by Oblique Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy oSLO and Optical Coherence Tomography OCT

Published on: August 4, 2018

Automated 3D Optical Coherence Tomography to Elucidate Biofilm Morphogenesis Over Large Spatial Scales

Automated 3D Optical Coherence Tomography to Elucidate Biofilm Morphogenesis Over Large Spatial Scales

Published on: August 21, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Open Source High Content Analysis Utilizing Automated Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

Open Source High Content Analysis Utilizing Automated Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

Published on: January 18, 2017

Multimodal Volumetric Retinal Imaging by Oblique Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy oSLO and Optical Coherence Tomography OCT

Multimodal Volumetric Retinal Imaging by Oblique Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy oSLO and Optical Coherence Tomography OCT

Published on: August 4, 2018

Automated 3D Optical Coherence Tomography to Elucidate Biofilm Morphogenesis Over Large Spatial Scales

Automated 3D Optical Coherence Tomography to Elucidate Biofilm Morphogenesis Over Large Spatial Scales

Published on: August 21, 2019

Area of Science:

Scientific Instrumentation
Optical Microscopy
Open-Source Software Development

Background:

Traditional scientific instrument control relied on expensive, closed-source software like LabVIEW.
The open-source movement offers accessible and cost-effective alternatives for researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce Tormenta, a novel modular open-source software.
To provide a flexible and cost-free platform for controlling camera-based optical microscopes.
To incorporate features relevant to fluorescence nanoscopy techniques.

Main Methods:

Development of Tormenta using the Python programming language.
Implementation of a modular architecture for adaptability.
Cross-platform compatibility (multiple operating systems).

Main Results:

Tormenta offers a viable open-source alternative for microscope control.
The software supports advanced applications such as single molecule localization microscopy.
Modular design allows for customization and integration of new features.

Conclusions:

Tormenta democratizes access to advanced optical microscopy control.
The open-source nature fosters community-driven development and improvement.
This software empowers researchers with cost-effective tools for complex imaging.