SPIFFI microscope captures live-cell super-resolution in a single shot

Researchers at EPFL developed SPIFFI, a technique that uses the polarization of fluorescent light to produce a super-resolved image of living cells in a single camera exposure. It resolves structures down to 160–170 nm, or about 80 nm with fluctuation-based post-processing, and enables super-resolution video of fast cellular processes.

• SPIFFI splits emitted light into four polarization channels in one exposure
• Resolution reaches 160–170 nm, or about 80 nm with post-processing
• The method captures video of mitochondria and microtubules in live cells
• Its optics can be added to existing fluorescence microscopes