Biomedical fluorescence microscopy

This article describes the main techniques of fluorescence microscopy, existing commercial devices, and technologies under development. The main field of use for fluorescence microscopy is biomedical, with applications in fundamental and applied research, diagnostics, quality control and more. Other applications, particularly in chemistry and materials science, use the same principles described here from the point of view of life science applications. Today, fluorescence microscopy is used to study biological structures, their functioning and interactions (cell division, motility, transport, secretion, neuronal communication, etc.) at cellular and molecular levels.

Fluorescence microscopy explores areas from the nanometer range, with new super-resolution techniques, to millimeter sizes and, in the spectral range, from ultraviolet (350 nm) to near infrared (1 μm). With current sensors, recording times range from milliseconds to a few seconds.

From an industrial standpoint, the sector's development depends on dynamic interaction between fundamental research laboratories (users), academic instrumentation research laboratories, and manufacturers. Fluorescence microscopy is at the crossroads of several rapidly evolving techniques. Evolutions are appearing in the fields of probe chemistry, light sources, lasers, optomechanical devices, light detectors, signal processing and computer possibilities. Local developments can end up as a new commercial product within a year or two. Interaction with all these fields enables fluorescence microscopy to extend into new fields, from molecular studies to the living animal. We have chosen a multidisciplinary approach in the presentation of this article.

This technique is fairly universal and generally quick to implement. One of its major advantages is the extreme specificity offered by immunofluorescence and fusion proteins. Its limitations lie in the difficulty of obtaining a specific probe and exploring thick objects (> 0.5 mm).

It is now routinely applied in medical diagnostics, biomedical and pharmaceutical research, surgery, and instrumentation research.