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

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Robotic-assisted <sup>90</sup>Y Transarterial Radioembolization for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Initial Experience.

Radiology·2026

Same author

In vivo spatial coordination with synthetic paracrine signaling.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Modulating Protein Function through Genetically Encoded Oxidative Chemistry.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Same author

Real-time volumetric imaging of cells and molecules in deep tissues with Takoyaki ultrasound.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Statistical BURST imaging for high-fidelity biomolecular ultrasound.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Enzymatic microbubble robots.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 3, 2025

Compact Lens-less Digital Holographic Microscope for MEMS Inspection and Characterization

Compact Lens-less Digital Holographic Microscope for MEMS Inspection and Characterization

Published on: July 5, 2016

Genetically Encoded Phase Contrast Agents for Digital Holographic Microscopy.

Arash Farhadi¹, Manuel Bedrossian², Justin Lee¹

¹Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States.

|October 29, 2020

Summary

Researchers developed genetically encoded phase contrast agents using gas vesicles. These novel agents enable enhanced visualization of cells and microorganisms in 3D, advancing phase imaging capabilities.

Keywords:

3D Particle Tracking Gas Vesicles Off-Axis Digital Holographic Microscopy Phase Contrast Agent Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI)Reporter Genes Volumetric Imaging

More Related Videos

Multimodal Quantitative Phase Imaging with Digital Holographic Microscopy Accurately Assesses Intestinal Inflammation and Epithelial Wound Healing

Multimodal Quantitative Phase Imaging with Digital Holographic Microscopy Accurately Assesses Intestinal Inflammation and Epithelial Wound Healing

Published on: September 13, 2016

Digital Inline Holographic Microscopy DIHM of Weakly-scattering Subjects

Digital Inline Holographic Microscopy DIHM of Weakly-scattering Subjects

Published on: February 8, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 3, 2025

Compact Lens-less Digital Holographic Microscope for MEMS Inspection and Characterization

Compact Lens-less Digital Holographic Microscope for MEMS Inspection and Characterization

Published on: July 5, 2016

Multimodal Quantitative Phase Imaging with Digital Holographic Microscopy Accurately Assesses Intestinal Inflammation and Epithelial Wound Healing

Multimodal Quantitative Phase Imaging with Digital Holographic Microscopy Accurately Assesses Intestinal Inflammation and Epithelial Wound Healing

Published on: September 13, 2016

Digital Inline Holographic Microscopy DIHM of Weakly-scattering Subjects

Digital Inline Holographic Microscopy DIHM of Weakly-scattering Subjects

Published on: February 8, 2014

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Microscopy

Background:

Quantitative phase imaging and digital holographic microscopy offer 3D visualization of biological specimens.
Current phase imaging lacks molecular contrast agents, unlike fluorescence microscopy.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce the first genetically encodable phase contrast agents.
To enable molecular contrast for phase imaging techniques.

Main Methods:

Development of gas vesicles as genetically encodable phase contrast agents.
Utilizing digital holographic microscopy to track gas vesicles and bacteria.
Imaging the uptake of engineered gas vesicles by mammalian cells.

Main Results:

Gas vesicles function as "positive" phase contrast agents due to their air-filled core.
Successful identification and tracking of gas vesicle-expressing bacteria.
Demonstrated imaging of engineered gas vesicle uptake in mammalian cells.

Conclusions:

Gas vesicles provide a novel biomolecular contrast agent for phase imaging.
This expands the capabilities of quantitative phase imaging and digital holographic microscopy.
Enables advanced 3D biological imaging of cellular dynamics and interactions.