Intrinsic-contrast super-resolution imaging of DNA at 2-nm resolution

项目摘要 最近的一个重大科学突破是超分辨率光学纳米镜的出现。 纳米尺度光学成像目前在生物医学科学中起着至关重要的作用， 在大分子尺度上的细胞结构和功能的信息。然而，这一潜力 技术可以大大提高。本课题采用了一种新的光学技术--光谱本征反差技术 光子定位光学纳米显微镜（SICLON）将被开发，这将使无标记纳米成像 三维结构和分子组成的细胞与空间分辨率接近2纳米。 SICLON是基于一种新发现的物理效应：大多数生物聚合物，如DNA，直到最近， 在可见光范围内被认为是“暗的”，当被低- 可见光强度。这项技术可能会对广泛的生物学研究产生深远的影响，因为它 将有可能在不使用标记的情况下进行分子分辨率、全细胞、光学成像。

PROJECT SUMMARY One of the major recent scientific breakthroughs was the emergence of super-resolution optical nanoscopy. Nanoscale optical imaging currently plays a crucial role in biomedical sciences and has provided invaluable information about cellular structure and function at the macromolecular scale. However, the potential of this technology can be immensely enhanced. In this project a new optical technology, spectroscopic intrinsic-contrast photon-localization optical nanoscopy (SICLON), will be developed that will enable label-free nanoscale imaging of three-dimensional structure and molecular composition of cells with spatial resolution approaching 2 nm. SICLON is based on a newly discovered physical effect: most biopolymers, such as DNA, that until recently had been considered “dark” in the visible regime exhibit stochastic fluorescence switching when illuminated by low- intensity visible light. The technology could have a profound impact on a wide range of biological research as it will become possible to do molecular-resolution, whole-cell, optical imaging without the use of labels.