g-STED nanoscopy provides fundamentally improved spatial resolution over confocal microscopy in living cells. Here, the protein keratin is marked with the fluorescent protein Citrine in a living PtK2 cell. The insets show a magnified view of the marked areas, demonstrating the separation of features as small as 60 nm in the living cell. Fluorescence excitation at 485 nm, STED at 592 nm wavelength using a CW beam. Scale bars 1 ?m. Image: Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry |
Leica
Microsystems has signed an agreement with the Max Planck Society and
the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) for the development of the next
generation of super-resolution STED (Stimulated Emission Depletion)
microscopy. This gives Leica Microsystems the license to develop the new
technology, called gated STED, into a commercial product and put it on
the market.
Stefan
Hell, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry,
has taken his idea of STED microscopy a momentous step further with
gated STED: The new technology significantly improves the resolution and
contrast previously attained with CW-STED (continuous-wave stimulated
emission depletion) microscopy, while distinctly reducing laser
intensity. This enhances photostability as well as live cell capability,
substantially extending the range of possible applications. Also, gated
STED technology will considerably increase the number of issues that
can be addressed with STED fluorescence correlation spectroscopy
(STED-FCS). The main application of gated STED technology will be the
observation of molecule movements in the membrane of living cells.
The
new product of Leica Microsystems will be launched in the first half of
the year 2012. Thanks to Leica Microsystems’ modular concept, the Leica
TCS SP5 and Leica TCS STED CW confocal systems already on the market
can be upgraded with gated STED.
