Microscopy

Microscopy is an umbrella term to describe techniques used to analyse small samples that cannot be viewed with the naked eye. There is a wide range of microscopy techniques and scientific instruments available that can be used depending on their applications. A microscope magnifies tiny objects or samples and can provide a wealth of vital information about their cell structure, contamination, parasites and so much more.

This hub will contain all of the information you need to know about microscopy and will include the latest news and fascinating research articles. Whether you are looking to expand your knowledge of compound microscopes or fluorescence microscopy, you will find it all here under featured articles and the latest interviews.

What is Microscopy?

The word microscope is derived from the Greek “mikros”, meaning small and, “skopein” meaning to see.

Microscopy and Artificial Intelligence

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): An Overview

Investigating the Intersection between Microscopy and Healthcare

Fluorescence Microscopy: An Overview

Using Scanning Electron Microscopy to Image SARS-CoV-2

Confocal Microscopy: An Overview

Electron Microscopy: An Overview

Using Electron Microscopy to Detect Viruses

Applications of Scanning Electron Microscopy

Uses of Microscopy in Forensics

What are Polarized Light Microscopes and How Do They Work?

See more featured articles »

Role of Microscopy in Ballistics

Applications of Polarized Light Microscopy

Phase-Contrast Microscopy: An Overview

Avoiding Cell Death in Fluorescence Microscopy

Photobleaching in Fluorescence Microscopy

TEM Imaging Modes

Visualizing the 3D Architecture of Tissues

What is Confocal Imaging?

The Determination of Post-Mortem Interval (PMI) Using Transmission Electron Microscopy

The Digital Evolution of Microscopy

What is FIB-SEM?

‘Staining’ of Biological Samples when Using Electron Microscopy: Why stain density matters

Why Size Matters in Microscopy

Light Microscopy Techniques in Virology: An Overview

Identifying Corpses Using Microscopy

What is Environmental Forensic Microscopy?

Imaging Techniques in Drug Discovery

Microscopy and Artificial Intelligence

Deep Learning in Fluorescence Microscopy

Optimizing Live Cell Imaging with FRET Microscopy

‘Staining’ of Biological Samples when Using Electron Microscopy: Why stain density matters

Applications of IVIS (In Vivo Imaging Systems)

Advances in Scanning Electron Microscopy

Microscopes in Forensic Epidemiology- An Overview

What is 3D X-Ray Microscopy?

TEM Imaging Modes

Imaging Nuclear Structures Using AFM

Advances in Fluorescence Microscopy

Cryo-Electron Microscopy: An Overview

Confocal Reflection Microscopy for Cell Migration Studies

Transmission Electron Microscopy: An Overview

How do Epifluorescence Microscopes Work?

What is High-Resolution TEM (HR-TEM)?

Applications of 3D X-ray Microscopy

Two-photon Microscopy Principles and Methodology

Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Microscopy

Optical Microscopy: An Overview

Light Microscopy Techniques in Virology: An Overview

Optimizing Live Cell Imaging with FRET Microscopy

Using Microscopy for Deep In Vivo Brain Imaging

Microscopy’s Involvement in Brain Imaging

Differentiating Tumors using Microscopy

Expansion Microscopy in Neurology

Scanning Helium Microscopy: An Overview

X-ray Microscopy: An Overview

Diagnosing Alzheimer's Using Microscopy

Intravital Kidney Microscopy: An Overview

Investigating the Applications of Meoscopy

What is Expansion Microscopy?

Live-Cell Imaging with Super-Resolution Microscopy

Understanding the Brain Through Electron Microscopy

How Do Spectrometer Accessories Elevate Instrument Capabilities?

Microscopy in Oncology Research: Visualizing Tumor Microenvironments

Latest Microscopy News and Research

SRS Microscopy Unlocks New Insights into Cellular Metabolism and Disease

Cellular metabolism plays a critical role in various physiological and pathological processes. High resolution imaging of intracellular metabolic activities is crucial for understanding many biological pathways, and for facilitating disease prognosis and treatment assessment.

14 Mar 2025

Molecular Intelligence Simplifies Cryo-EM Data Analysis with AI

Scientists from Purdue University’s College of Science and the Rosen Center for Advanced Computing have established Molecular Intelligence, a software company dedicated to assisting researchers in determining the 3D structures of biomolecules captured through cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).

13 Mar 2025

New Cannabinoid Drug Brings Hope For Treating Chronic Pain Without Addiction

VIP36, a new CB1 agonist, targets a cryptic pocket to provide analgesia for chronic pain while minimizing side effects and avoiding opioid-related risks.

13 Mar 2025

Cryo-EM Reveals 3D Structure of Nipah Virus RNA Polymerase

The replication of the Nipah virus's genetic material in infected cells has been demonstrated for the first time by researchers from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). In humans, the virus can cause fatal encephalitis.

11 Mar 2025

Novel Expansion Microscopy Technique for Detailed Plant Biomolecule Mapping

The approach to studying plant cells is evolving quite literally due to new research led by Kevin Cox, an Assistant Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and an Assistant Member of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

10 Mar 2025

Protective ‘Slime’ In The Brain May Help Prevent Aging And Neurodegeneration

The study shows that boosting mucin-type O-glycosylation in aged mice reinforces the blood-brain barrier and improves memory, paving the way for new treatments.

10 Mar 2025

Study Shows How Transposons Exploit Telomeres in Bacteria

Transposons, or "jumping genes" – DNA segments that can move from one part of the genome to another – are key to bacterial evolution and the development of antibiotic resistance.

8 Mar 2025

Structural Insights into uMtCK Offer New Pathways for Targeting Cancer Energy Mechanisms

Cancer cells have an insatiable appetite for energy as they multiply more rapidly than normal cells. Greedy cancer cells hijack various cellular functions to find and exploit energy and other resources, including a group of enzymes that help normal cells maintain a balance of energy.

8 Mar 2025

New Insights into Biofilm Formation and Dispersal

The oldest type of multicellularity on Earth is biofilms, which are common bacterial communities embedded in a slimy matrix.

7 Mar 2025

Ancient Fish Fossils Reveal Synovial Joints Evolved Millions of Years Earlier Than Thought

Recent research reveals that synovial joints originated in early jawed fish, reshaping our understanding of vertebrate skeletal evolution and movement.

7 Mar 2025

Discovery of Ball-and-Chain Mechanism Sheds Light on Ion Channel Regulation

A new study has unveiled a precise picture of how an ion channel found in most mammalian cells regulates its own function with a "ball-and-chain" channel-plugging mechanism, according to investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.

5 Mar 2025

Scientists Unveil Molecular Process of Polymerase Theta in Cancer Cells

DNA repair proteins act like the body's editors, constantly finding and reversing damage to our genetic code.

4 Mar 2025

Mapping Bacterial Responses to Reactive Nitrogen and Oxygen Species

A study in Microbiological Research explored the impact of varying ratios of Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) on pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

28 Feb 2025

New Cancer-on-Chip Tech Could Replace Animal Testing—Faster, Cheaper, More Accurate!

A new modified silicone rubber for cancer-on-chip applications improves cell adhesion and drug testing, paving the way for personalized cancer treatments.

28 Feb 2025

Unveiling the Role of Flexibility in Designer Proteins

Artificially designed proteins typically rely on building blocks with strict symmetrical rules, allowing for computational prediction of their structures.

27 Feb 2025

Danforth Center Scientists Innovate Cryopreservation for Plant Tissue Imaging

Danforth Center scientists Tessa Burch-Smith, PhD, and Kirk Czymmek, PhD, in collaboration with researchers at the CryoEM Facility at Stanford University, are embarking on a pioneering initiative to develop new cryopreservation and nanoscale imaging procedures for volume electron microscopy (vEM) of plant tissues.

26 Feb 2025