The biomedical world has come a long way since Anton van Leeuwenhoek first observed living cells with a basic microscope in 1674. Using fluorescent probes and modern high resolution imaging techniques it is now possible to view labeled sub-cellular structures at the 10-50 nanometer scale. For researchers working with fixed (dead) cells, organelles can be studied at even higher resolution using electron microscopy. These methods provide tremendous insight into the structure and function of cells down to the molecular and atomic level.
The further development of cell imaging techniques has largely focused on resolving greater spatial detail within cells. Examples include higher magnification, three dimensional viewing and enhanced penetration into deep structures. Significant attention has also been paid to temporal resolution – time-lapse imaging has evolved for high-frame rate image capture from living cells to address “fast” biology such as synaptic transmission and muscle contractility. Any consideration for technology advances at lower spatial or temporal detail may initially seem mundane, or even unnecessary. However, this would fail to recognize some key unmet user needs.
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