Super Resolution Fluorescence Microscope (STORM)

"We have a super-resolution fluorescence microscope, specifically STochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM). The microscope can provide 10-20 nm resolution images of fluorescently labelled specimens in 3D. High resolution images require the sample to be relatively motionless over time periods of ~1 min. Previous successful experiments have been performed with microtubules in fixed human cancer cells (antibody labelled), end labelled graphene oxide sheets, de novo peptides (amyloids) and live capsular E. coli bacteria.
The STORM microscope can also be used for single- molecule fluorescence microscopy. We previously studied the dynamics of single peptide fibres embedded in gels. We could track the fibres at video rates (~50 Hz) and extract a rich variety of information on fibre shape and dynamics using image processing. We thus successfully explored the bulk dynamics of de novo peptide gels and temperature switchable composite gels with NIPAM."