reSOLUTION Research No. 10
Published: 01.04.11
Customer Magazine for Life Science Research reSOLUTION No. 10
TIRF Microscopy Turned Upside Down – Fluorescence Microscopy of the Apical Membrane of Polarized Epithelial Cells
Good Vibrations – Perspectives of CARS Microscopy in Life Science Research
Where are Memories Stored? – Mapping Billions of Synapses with Microscopy and Mathematics
Customer Magazine for Life Science Research
- The possibilities now offered by light microscopic technologies would have been inconceivable 20 years ago. Super-resolution microscopy has provided bioscientists with many new ways of visualizing and analyzing the processes of life right down to the molecular scale. STED microscopy was the first commercial technology to show that it was possible to overcome the resolution limit – and in doing so, triggered a veritable technology race. Meanwhile, different approaches have established themselves for resolving detail below the diffraction limit of light. Yet an end to these developments is not in sight. In this issue of reSOLUTION, we feature a new super-resolution technology that has taken the leap from the physics labs to being a user-friendly marketable system. The Leica SR GSD is the latest addition to our portfolio of superresolution products.
- CARS microscopy is another relatively new technology that is gaining popularity not only among molecular biologists but also in material sciences. CARS uses molecular vibrational spectra for chemical contrast generation. For this reason it works without external labeling.
- Further developments in laser technology, image recording and software are also contributing to the further sophistication of imaging techniques that will pave the way for new experiments. Examples include white light laser technology, new hybrid detectors, lambda square mapping software and multi application imaging platforms.