Learn & Share: TIRF Microscopy
Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) is a highly sensitive technique to perform functional investigations in living cells. The high signal to noise ratio and a resolution in z direction of usually 70-250 nm above the coverslip/water interface allows to visualize and to analyse vesicles transport and signalling events, as well as kinetic studies and single molecules detection. Physical background is the total reflection of a laser beam at the interface of glass and water and the resulting electromagnetic wave, the so-called evanescent field. The energy of the evanescent field decreases exponentially with the distance of the interface coverslip/water and allows exciting fluorochromes.
Studying Actin Cytoskeleton and Microfilament Assembly
This article demonstrates how actin microfilament assemblies can be clearly visualized with superior resolution at the plasma membrane of a cell using a DMi8 S Infinity TIRF High Power imaging…Read article
Microscopy in Virology
The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, causing the Covid-19 disease effects our world in all aspects. Research to find immunization and treatment methods, in other words to fight this virus, gained highest…Read article
TIRF Publication List
This monthly updated references list presents current papers using Leica AM TIRF in the major application fields for TIRF microscopy.Read article
Where to go? Cellular Migration requires coordinated Transitions of Actin Cortex
Plants, Bacteria, and Fungi possess a rigid cell wall that protects the cell and gives it shape. Animal cells, such as mammalian cells, have no outer wall, which exposes their plasma membrane to the…Read article
Co-Orientation: Quantifying Simultaneous Co-Localization and Orientational Alignment of Filaments in Light Microscopy
Co-localization analysis is a widely used tool to seek evidence for functional interactions between molecules in different color channels in microscopic images. Here we extend the basic…Read article
Video Talk by Daniel Axelrod: Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy is a technique that only illuminates dye molecules near a surface. In this video, the pioneer of TIRF Microscopy describes what this technique…Read article
Video Interview with William Hughes
William Hughes works at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney (Australia). In his Lab Head position he is interested in the causes of diabetes particularly looking at changes in exocytic…Read article
Controlling the TIRF Penetration Depth is Mandatory for Reproducible Results
The main feature of total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is the employment of an evanescent wave for the excitation of fluorophores instead of using direct light. A property of the…Read article
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy
Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) is a special technique in fluorescence microscopy developed by Daniel Axelrod at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the early 1980s. TIRF microscopy…Read article
Applications of TIRF Microscopy in Life Science Research
The special feature of TIRF microscopy is the employment of an evanescent field for fluorophore excitation. Unlike standard widefield fluorescence illumination procedures with arc lamps, LEDs or…Read article
TIRF Microscopy Explores Cellular Transport Processes
Due to their special role in organ function and the exchange of biological components some body cells developed certain polarization characteristics. These are reflected in differences of their plasma…Read article
The New Repository on the Block
The need for data validation and accessibility has never been greater than it is today. We are inundated with information from a multitude of resources, but how can we easily evaluate the accuracy of…Read article
TIRF Microscopy of the Apical Membrane of Polarized Epithelial Cells
Application of TIRF microscopy (Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence) allows the visualization of structures at the apical surface of polarized epithelial cells that have been hidden in conventional…Read article
Exploring Cell Logistics
Using TIRF microscopy, scientists have been able to take a closer look at intracellular transport processes with the example of the galactose-binding protein Galectin-3, which has been identified as a…Read article
Useful Links
Communities and Web Sources
www.researchgate.net/Social network for scientists
www.ibiology.org/Teaching tools, video lectures on biology and microscopy
bitesizebio.comOnline magazine and community for molecular and cell biology researchers
www.somersault1824.comResource for high-end scientific illustrations, images and animations
Search Engines and Data Bases
www.cellimagelibrary.orgPublic resource database of images, videos, and animations of cells
harvester.fzk.de/harvesterBioinformatic meta search engine for genes and proteins
www.gopubmed.comSearch interface for pubmed
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_academic_databases_and_search_enginesList of academic databases and search engines
scholar.google.comBeta of Google's search engine for scientific article abstracts
Journals
www.doaj.org/Directory of open access journals
emboj.embopress.org/The EMBO Journal
www.lifescied.orgCBE-Life Sciences Education – an ASCB online journal
www.sciencemag.org/Science
www.nature.com/Nature
www.cell.com/Biweekly publication of exceptional research articles
jcs.biologists.org/Journal of Cell Science
dev.biologists.org/Development
jeb.biologists.org/The Journal of Experimental Biology
dmm.biologists.org/DMM Disease Models & Mechanisms
www.biotechniques.com/International Journal of Life Science Methods
www.opticsinfobase.org/Collection of Journals and Proceedings in Optics and Photonics
spie.org/x576.xmlSPIE - peer-reviewed journals on applied research in optics and photonics
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1864-0648Journal of Biophotonics
www.plosone.org/home.actionInternational, peer-reviewed, open-access, online publication
rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/Proceedings B - the Royal Society's biological research journal
www.microscopy-analysis.com/International Journal for microscopists
Organizations / Institutes
www.microscopy.org/Microscopy Society of America
www.eurmicsoc.org/European Microscopy Society
www.rms.org.uk/Royal Microscopical Society
http://www.doitpoms.ac.ukTutorials on microscopy for materials science; University of Cambridge, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy
www.ascb.org/ASCB American Society of Cell Biology
www.biologists.com/cob_activities.htmlthe company of biologists
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