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Super-resolution microscopy demystified

Super-resolution microscopy (SRM) bypasses the diffraction limit, a physical barrier that restricts the optical resolution to roughly 250 nm and was previously thought to be impenetrable. SRM techniques allow the visualization of subcellular organization with unprecedented detail, but also confront biologists with the challenge of selecting the best-suited approach for their particular research question. Here, we provide guidance on how to use SRM techniques advantageously for investigating cellular structures and dynamics to promote new discoveries.

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Fig. 1: Basic principles of SRM.
Fig. 2: Inherent trade-offs in SRM.
Fig. 3: Decision tree for selecting SRM techniques.
Fig. 4: Application examples of SRM to inform biology.

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Acknowledgements

We apologize to the many researchers whose work we were unable to cite owing to space constraints. Furthermore, we thank I. Dobbie, C. Lagerholm and J. Demmerle for their valuable comments on the manuscript. L.S. is supported by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award 107457 supporting advanced microscopy at Micron Oxford. L.S. and T.H. acknowledge support by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 766181. G.D. is supported with funding for External Collaborative Research. M.S. acknowledges support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the Collaborative Research Center 166 ReceptorLight (projects A04 and B04). C.E. acknowledges support by the Medical Research Council (grant number MC_UU_12010/unit programs G0902418 and MC_UU_12025, grant MR/K01577X/1), Wellcome Trust (grant 104924/14/Z/14 and Strategic Award 107457), DFG (Research unit FOR 1905) and Oxford internal funds (EPA Cephalosporin Fund and John Fell Fund).

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L.S., A.F. and G.D. provided the initial concept, design and drafting of the manuscript with contributions from all authors. L.S. and G.D. prepared the figures. L.S., T.H and G.D. revised and finalized the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Lothar Schermelleh or Gregor P. C. Drummen.

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G.D. is partially exempted from his duties at BNS to pursue fundamental scientific research. All other authors declare no competing interest.

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Schermelleh, L., Ferrand, A., Huser, T. et al. Super-resolution microscopy demystified. Nat Cell Biol 21, 72–84 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0251-8

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