Correlative super-resolution bright-field and fluorescence imaging by microsphere assisted microscopy.

Area of Science:

• Optical Microscopy
• Nanotechnology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Super-resolution fluorescence imaging surpasses the diffraction limit for nanoscale resolution.
• Conventional bright-field imaging is limited by the diffraction limit, hindering intracellular nanostructure visualization.
• A gap exists between fluorescence and bright-field imaging resolution, impeding precise nanostructure distribution studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce microsphere superlenses for label-free super-resolution imaging.
• To achieve simultaneous super-resolution enhancement of both bright-field and fluorescence imaging.
• To enable correlated super-resolution imaging of intracellular nanostructures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized microsphere superlenses to enhance imaging resolution.
• Performed simultaneous bright-field and fluorescence super-resolution imaging.
• Applied the technique to mouse skeletal muscle cells for nanoparticle distribution analysis.

Main Results:

• Achieved correlated super-resolution bright-field and fluorescence imaging.
• Improved bright-field imaging resolution from λ/1.3 to λ/4.2.
• Enabled clear observation of nanoparticle distribution within mouse skeletal muscle cells.

Conclusions:

• Microsphere superlenses provide a label-free solution for super-resolution imaging, bridging the resolution gap.
• The technique allows for correlated nanoscale imaging of cellular structures and nanoparticles.
• Microsphere superlenses hold potential for ultrafast imaging of dynamic biological processes in living cells.