Microscopy articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Natural genetic transformation in bacteria requires DNA binding at the surface of competent cells. Here, Mirouze et al. show that wall teichoic acids are specifically produced or modified during competence in Bacillus subtilis and promote (directly or indirectly) DNA binding at the cell surface.

    • Nicolas Mirouze
    • , Cécile Ferret
    •  & Rut Carballido-López

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sample orientation is crucial to ensure optimal image quality in light microscopy. Here the authors enable multi-axis orientation of fixed mouse embryos and shrimp, and live zebrafish embryos and larvae by introducing magnetic beads and rotating the sample with a magnetic field in a microscope.

    • Frederic Berndt
    • , Gopi Shah
    •  & Jan Huisken

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Super-resolution microscopy using wavelengths in the near infrared (NIR) optical window is particularly appealing for live cell and tissue imaging, yet largely unexplored. Here the authors present NIR-STED nanoscopy of living mammalian cells using the new bacteriophytochrome-based fluorescent protein SNIFP.

    • Maria Kamper
    • , Haisen Ta
    •  & Stefan Jakobs

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Surfaces with adsorbed and arrested colloids are of interest for the engineering of advanced mesostructured materials. Here the authors demonstrate a method for producing particle-stabilised droplets with controlled surface coverage and composition.

    • Greet Dockx
    • , Steffen Geisel
    •  & Jan Vermant

  • Article
    | Open Access

    While plasmonic nanoparticles offer new opportunities for photocatalysis, understanding the underlying effects remains challenging. Here, the authors visualize plasmon-driven dehydrogenation reaction within individual palladium nanoparticles using light-coupled transmission electron microscopy.

    • Michal Vadai
    • , Daniel K. Angell
    •  & Jennifer A. Dionne

  • Article
    | Open Access

    FISH-based techniques to image and count mRNA in single cells can be limited by the photophysical properties of organic dyes. Here the authors develop photostable quantum dot FISH probes for multiplexed imaging.

    • Yang Liu
    • , Phuong Le
    •  & Andrew M. Smith

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Methods to directly label active neurons are still lacking. Here the authors develop CaMPARI2, a photoconvertible fluorescent protein sensor for neuronal activity with improved brightness and calcium binding kinetics, as well as an antibody to amplify the activated sensor signal in fixed samples.

    • Benjamien Moeyaert
    • , Graham Holt
    •  & Eric R. Schreiter

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The limited number of materials with a switchable electrical polarization available for applications can be increased by exploiting the flexoelectric effect. Here, switchable polarization in nanoparticles induced by an elemental distribution dependent strain gradient up to 800 °C is demonstrated.

    • Leopoldo Molina-Luna
    • , Shuai Wang
    •  & Matias Acosta

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-interacting chromatin domains encompass genes and their cis-regulatory elements. Here the authors use high-resolution chromosome conformation capture and super-resolution imaging to study a 70 kb domain that includes the mouse α-globin regulatory locus and find that a tissue-specific self-interacting chromatin domain forms independently of enhancer-promoter interactions.

    • Jill M. Brown
    • , Nigel A. Roberts
    •  & Veronica J. Buckle

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Processive chitinase is a linear molecular motor which moves on the surface of crystalline chitin. Here authors use single-molecule imaging, X-ray crystallography and simulations on chitinase A (SmChiA) and show that Brownian motion along the single chitin chain is rectified forward by substrate-assisted catalysis.

    • Akihiko Nakamura
    • , Kei-ichi Okazaki
    •  & Ryota Iino

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The insulator-to-metal transition in vanadium dioxide still has many unexplored properties. Here the authors use multi-modal THz and mid-IR nano-imaging to examine the phase transition in VO2 thin films, and discuss the unexpectedly smooth transition at THz frequencies in the context of a dimer Hubbard model.

    • H. T. Stinson
    • , A. Sternbach
    •  & D. N. Basov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recording the activity of neurons over large brain regions requires expanding the field of view of the optics without losing on spatial and temporal resolution. Here, the authors report a micro-opto-mechanical device that enables two-photon imaging across distant motor areas around 6 mm apart in the mouse.

    • Shin-Ichiro Terada
    • , Kenta Kobayashi
    •  & Masanori Matsuzaki

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A known limitation of super-resolution STED microscopy is the need of high laser power which can cause photobleaching and phototoxicity. Here the authors further optimize this method and show that modulating STED intensity during acquisition results in an enhanced resolution and reduced background.

    • Maria J. Sarmento
    • , Michele Oneto
    •  & Luca Lanzanò

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The atomistic behaviour of nanocatalysts still remains largely unknown. Here, the authors reveal and explore reactions of nm-sized clusters of 14 technologically important metals in carbon nano test tubes using time-series imaging by atomically-resolved transmission electron microscopy.

    • Kecheng Cao
    • , Thilo Zoberbier
    •  & Andrei N. Khlobystov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Super-resolution microscopy often suffers from low contrast and slow recording times. Here the authors present an optical implementation which makes the fluorescent proteins’ ON–OFF switching cycles more efficient, enhancing contrast and spatio-temporal resolution in 3D cell and tissue imaging.

    • Luciano A. Masullo
    • , Andreas Bodén
    •  & Ilaria Testa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Many RNA viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm express proteins that localize to nucleoli, but the nucleolar functions remain largely unknown. Here, the authors show that the Henipavirus matrix protein mimics an endogenous Treacle partner of the DNA-damage response, resulting in suppression of rRNA biogenesis.

    • Stephen M. Rawlinson
    • , Tianyue Zhao
    •  & Gregory W. Moseley

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Detailed knowledge of how strain influences catalytic reactions remains elusive. Here, the authors experimentally measure the strain in supported Pt nanoparticles on alumina and ceria with atomic resolution and computationally explore how the strain affects the CO oxidation reaction.

    • Torben Nilsson Pingel
    • , Mikkel Jørgensen
    •  & Eva Olsson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The engagement of DNA-binding drugs to their target is difficult to study, particularly in vivo. Here the authors develop an in vivo fluorescence lifetime imaging confocal laparo/endomicroscope to show intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity in doxorubicin binding to peritoneal metastases, which depends on the route of administration.

    • Hugh Sparks
    • , Hiroshi Kondo
    •  & Erik Sahai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Collecting experimental evidence of chloride ion attack on protective passive metallic films due to corrosion remains challenging. Here, the authors show that the boundaries between nanocrystals and amorphous regions in the passive film ease chloride transport even as they do not coincide with areas of high chloride concentration.

    • B. Zhang
    • , J. Wang
    •  & X. L. Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Single molecule tracking of fluorescent proteins in live cells is temporally limited by fluorophore photobleaching. Here the authors show using fluorophore pairs that FRET competes with photobleaching to improve photostability and allow longer-term tracking of both single proteins and complexes.

    • Srinjan Basu
    • , Lisa-Maria Needham
    •  & Ernest D. Laue

  • Article
    | Open Access

    3D single-molecule localization is limited in depth and often requires using a wide range of point spread functions (PSFs). Here the authors present an optical solution featuring a deformable mirror to generate different PSFs and easy-to-use software for super-resolution imaging up to 5 µm deep.

    • Andrey Aristov
    • , Benoit Lelandais
    •  & Christophe Zimmer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding bottom-up growth mechanisms of 2D transition metal carbides (MXenes) may enable new synthetic routes to tailor functional properties. Here, the authors use in situ electron microscopy, density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the homoepitaxial growth mechanisms of a single TiC adlayer from a Ti3C2 monolayer substrate.

    • Xiahan Sang
    • , Yu Xie
    •  & Raymond R. Unocic

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The bacterial protein disaggregation machine ClpB uses ATP to generate mechanical force to unfold and thread its protein substrates. Here authors visualize the ClpB ring using high-speed atomic force microscopy and capture conformational changes of the hexameric ring during the ATPase reaction.

    • Takayuki Uchihashi
    • , Yo-hei Watanabe
    •  & Toshio Ando

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The microstructure of organic semiconductors affects their transport properties, but directly probing this relationship is challenging. He et al. show that step edges act as electron traps on the surfaces of n-type single crystals, resulting in a field effect transistor mobility that depends on step density.

    • Tao He
    • , Yanfei Wu
    •  & C. Daniel Frisbie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nanoporous gold (NPG) has gained significant attention, but its catalytically active structure has not yet been clarified. Here, the authors identify the catalytically active and dynamic structure in NPG by combining atomic-scale and microsecond-resolution environmental transmission electron microscopy with ab initio calculations.

    • Naoto Kamiuchi
    • , Keju Sun
    •  & Seiji Takeda

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optical tweezers, while well suited for micro-manipulation, are difficult to apply to volumetric microrheology. Here, Leartprapun et al. combine low-NA optical radiation-pressure forces with sensitive interferometric detection to enable volumetric microrheology with promising applications in biological systems.

    • Nichaluk Leartprapun
    • , Rishyashring R. Iyer
    •  & Steven G. Adie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The unique properties of 2D materials are affected by the discontinuities posed by the structure’s edge. Here, using atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, the authors image and explain the formation of specific edge structures on Mo1 − x W x Se2 monolayers under different chemical conditions.

    • Xiahan Sang
    • , Xufan Li
    •  & Raymond R. Unocic

  • Article
    | Open Access

    HIV particles contain a relatively low amount of viral envelope (Env), but underlying packaging mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, the authors use superresolution microscopy and show that Env distribution is biased toward the necks of cell-associated particles during assembly.

    • Carmen A. Buttler
    • , Nairi Pezeshkian
    •  & Schuyler B. van Engelenburg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) allows for high resolution imaging without lenses. Here, Lo et al. develop in situ CDI with real-time imaging and a corresponding low-dose requirement, with expected applications in the physical and life sciences.

    • Yuan Hung Lo
    • , Lingrong Zhao
    •  & Jianwei Miao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Compared to thin films and other geometries, nanorods can exhibit particularly high performance in solute-intercalation-based energy and information storage devices. Here, the authors use in situ electron microscopy and spectroscopy to study the hydrogenation of palladium nanorods, revealing relationships between nanorod structure and device cyclability and capacity.

    • Fariah Hayee
    • , Tarun C. Narayan
    •  & Jennifer A. Dionne

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-assembled DNA nanostructures hold potential as nanomachines or platforms for organized chemical synthesis, but methods for assembly quality control are lacking. Here the authors use DNA-PAINT to quantify the incorporation and accessibility of individual strands in a DNA origami platform with molecular resolution.

    • Maximilian T. Strauss
    • , Florian Schueder
    •  & Ralf Jungmann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Characterization of adsorbed molecular layers on surfaces is the key to wide-ranging applications, but elucidating the structure and composition of such adlayers remains challenging. Here the authors develop an approach to unveil the nanoscale structure and composition of adlayers through spectrally resolved super-resolution microscopy.

    • Limin Xiang
    • , Michal Wojcik
    •  & Ke Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    X-ray spectroscopy is a tool used for the investigation of aqueous solutions but the strong absorption of water means that very thin liquid sheets are needed for accurate analysis. Here the authors produce free-flowing liquid sheets 2 orders of magnitude thinner than sheets obtained with existing techniques.

    • Jake D. Koralek
    • , Jongjin B. Kim
    •  & Daniel P. DePonte

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Iron-based bulk metallic glasses are remarkably plastic, but the origin of their plasticity remains challenging to isolate. Here, the authors use high resolution microscopy to show that nanocrystals are dispersed within the glass and form hard and soft zones that are responsible for enhancing ductility.

    • Baran Sarac
    • , Yurii P. Ivanov
    •  & Jürgen Eckert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Copper sulfide allows for high-performance sodium ion storage, yet its sodiation mechanism is poorly understood. Here, the authors examine the atomic structures of sodiated phases via in situ transmission electron microscopy, showing a non-equilibrium reaction pathway.

    • Jae Yeol Park
    • , Sung Joo Kim
    •  & Jong Min Yuk

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Time-lapse imaging studies of more than a day in the fly brain have been infeasible until now. Here the authors present a laser microsurgery approach to create a permanent window in the fly cuticle to enable time-lapse imaging of neural architecture and dynamics for up to 10–50 days.

    • Cheng Huang
    • , Jessica R. Maxey
    •  & Mark J. Schnitzer

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