Scientific Seminar: Travis Gould, Ph.D.

Spatial resolution in fluorescence microscopy is no longer limited by the diffraction of light. By exploiting the photophysical properties of probe molecules, a new class of techniques now provides diffraction-unlimited resolution in fluorescence microscopes. Using either targeted-switching to engineer sub-diffraction focal volumes or the stochastic switching of single fluorophores for precise localization of molecular positions, it has been possible to image biological structures with resolution of a few tens of nanometers. This seminar will review how microscopes became nanoscopes and how stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy can be applied to image genetic material.