Super-resolution microscopy and its applications in neuroscience

Abstract

Optical microscopy promises researchers to see most tiny substances directly. However, the resolution of conventional microscopy is restricted by the diffraction limit. This makes it a challenge to observe subcellular processes happened in nanoscale. The development of super-resolution microscopy provides a solution to this challenge. Here, we briefly review several commonly used super-resolution techniques, explicating their basic principles and applications in biological science, especially in neuroscience. In addition, characteristics and limitations of each technique are compared to provide a guidance for biologists to choose the most suitable tool.

Keywords

• Super-resolution microscopy
• total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy
• stimulated emission depletion microscopy
• structure illumination microscopy
• photoactivation localization microscopy
• stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy