Unraveling cellular complexity with transient adapters in highly multiplexed super-resolution imaging. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38552613/)

These scientists wanted to look at tiny molecules inside a cell to understand how cells work. They used a special kind of microscope called super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, which can show very small details. However, this microscope can only see up to four different molecules at a time.

So, the scientists came up with a new method called FLASH-PAINT to see many more molecules at once. They used a technique where the molecules would light up and then switch off quickly, allowing the scientists to see different molecules one after the other very fast. This way, they could look at almost any number of molecules in a cell.

They tested their new method by looking at nine proteins in one cell, studying the structure of primary cilia (tiny hair-like structures on cells), examining different molecules in the Golgi stacks (part of the cell where proteins are processed), and even looking at how different parts of the cell interact with each other in 3D. This helped them learn a lot about how cells are organized and how they function.

Schueder F., Rivera-Molina F., Su M., Marin Z., Kidd P., Rothman JE., Toomre D., Bewersdorf J. Unraveling cellular complexity with transient adapters in highly multiplexed super-resolution imaging. Cell. 2024 Mar 28;187(7):1769-1784.e18. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.033.