The principles of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (review)

Abstract

Diffraction limit of optical microscopy impedes imaging of biological objects much smaller than the wavelength of light. Conventional fluorescence microscopy does not enable to study fine structure and processes in a living cell at the macromolecular level. Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques that overcome the diffraction barrier have opened up new opportunities for biological and biomedical research. These methods combine the resolution power comparable to electron microscopy with non-invasiveness and labeling specificity of fluorescence imaging. This review describes the modern super-resolution microscopy approaches, their principles and applications. We discuss the key achievements and the main recent trends in this area.