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Imaging spotlight: visualising synaptic vesicle fusion by cryo-ET

Posted by , on 21 January 2026

In this paper highlight from Jana Kroll and colleagues, we hear about their research combing optogenetic stimulation with plunge freezing and cryo-electron tomography to study synaptic vesicle fusion.
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Imaging spotlight: U-ExM atlas of microbial eukaryotes

Posted by , on 20 January 2026

In this paper highlight from Hiral Shah and colleagues, we learn about their ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM) atlas of over 200 cultured planktonic eukaryotes. This post includes technical advice for ExM users and highlights the open-access resource that they have generated for cytoskeleton or marine microorganism aficionados (and microscopy sciart lovers!)
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Cytoneme Imaging Tips and Tricks

Posted by , on 19 January 2026

There has been a growing interest in visualizing long and thin membrane extensions. The field of intercellular connections has exploded, with elegant bioimaging studies focusing on structures like cytonemes, tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), intercellular/cytokinetic bridges (IB/CBs), and migrasomes. This enhanced interest in the intercellular communication facilitated by these extensions is largely due to the recent technological
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Imaging spotlight: Revealing mouse brain ultrastructure using non-destructive X-ray tomography

Posted by , on 13 January 2026

In this paper highlight, Carles Bosch, Ana Diaz, Adrian A. Wanner and Andreas T. Schaefer (on behalf of all authors) describe how they use nondestructive X-ray tomography to map mouse brain tissue ultrastructure . 
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Featured image with Christina Daly

Posted by , on 6 January 2026

Our featured image, acquired by Christina Daly, is of an E9.5 murine neural tube. The embryo was fixed in 4% Paraformaldehyde, embedded in agarose, and vibratome-sectioned at 100 mm thickness. The sections were stained with for F-actin with phalloidin and imaged on a Nikon A1R confocal.
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Microscopy preprints – new tools and techniques in imaging

Posted by , on 2 May 2025

Here is a curated selection of preprints posted recently on new tools and techniques in imaging. Let us know if we are missing any recent preprints that are on your reading list!
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Microscopy preprints – new tools and techniques in imaging

Posted by , on 9 August 2024

Here is a curated selection of preprints posted recently on new tools and techniques in imaging. Let us know if we are missing any recent preprints that are on your reading list!
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Affimers – small probes for big imaging experiments

Posted by , on 9 August 2022

Antibodies have been used to label proteins of interest since the 1970s. However, their large size (around 15 nm long for IgG) makes the penetration of dense structures within the cell a challenge and places the fluorophore away from the target protein. This latter issue, known as a ‘linkage error’, particularly impacts accuracy and precision
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A new Review in Journal of Cell Science discusses how specimens can impact image acquisition

Posted by , on 13 April 2022

With the development of new imaging strategies and technologies and advanced computational analyses has come a body of literature addressing various aspects of optimising imaging and processing. However, the impact of the sample itself on the quality of the image attained has garnered less exploration. Fluorescent microscopy is dependant on two factors – the intensity
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Imaging nuclear dynamics and chromatin organization in a live intact organism: the design of the minimal constraint device

Posted by , on 9 March 2022

To visualize the response of the nucleus and chromatin to mechanical signals, I developed a device that enables their imaging in a live intact Drosophila larva.   Together with genetically encoded fluorescent markers, we can track muscle contraction and nuclear dynamics, as shown in Movie 1.  While the muscle is at rest, we can image chromatin
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