Visualization of directional energy flow in a photosynthetic membrane by means of time-resolved super-resolution microsopy

为了阐明光合作用的早期事件，研制了一种具有超高空间分辨率的显微镜，特别是在近红外光谱区域，并对其性能进行了测试。使用常规荧光显微镜配置拍摄的图像在空间上受到衍射限制。然而，研究发现，当采用超分辨率配置时，受实验中使用的显微镜样品级的机械步骤的限制，空间分辨率约为100 nm。还收缩了用于拍摄时间分辨微图像的附加单元，并测量了其时间分辨。

A microscope with a super-high spatial resolution, especially in the near infrared spectral region, has been constructed to elucidate the early events of photosynthesis, and its performance has been tested. Images taken using the conventional fluorescence microscope configuration were spatially diffraction-limited. However, it was found that a spatial resolution of around 100 nm has been attained when the super-resolution configuration was employed, which is limited by the mechanical steps of the sample stage of the microscope used in the experiment. An add-on unit for taking time-resolved micro-images was also contracted and its temporal resolution was measured.