Live-Cell Super-Resolution Imaging with Fast 3D-SIM
A newly developed multiplane structured illumination microscopy (SIM) system achieves an 8× increase in volumetric imaging speed, capturing rapid interactions within live cells. The details of this project have been published in a paper, entitled “Fast, three-dimensional, live-cell super-resolution imaging with multiplane structured illumination microscopy.”
Here is the Abstract of this paper:
Three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) doubles the spatial resolution along all dimensions and is used widely in cellular imaging. However, its temporal resolution is constrained by the need for sequential plane-by-plane movement of the sample using a piezo stage for imaging, which often increases the acquisition time to several seconds per volume. To address this limitation, we develop 3D multiplane SIM (3D-MP-SIM), which simultaneously detects multiplane images and reconstructs them using synergistically evolved reconstruction algorithms. Compared with conventional 3D-SIM imaging, 3D-MP-SIM achieves an approximately eightfold increase in the temporal resolution of volumetric super-resolution imaging, with lateral and axial spatial resolutions of about 120 and 300 nm, respectively. The rapid acquisition substantially reduces motion artefacts during the imaging of dynamic structures, such as late endosomes, in live cells. Moreover, we demonstrate the capabilities of 3D-MP-SIM via high-speed time-lapse volumetric imaging of the endoplasmic reticulum at rates of up to 11 volumes per second. We also show the feasibility of dual-colour imaging by observing rapid and close interactions among intra- and intercellular organelles in 3D space. These results highlight the potential of 3D-MP-SIM for explaining dynamic behaviours and interactions at the subcellular level and in three dimensions.
The experimental setup of this research includes the following components from Chroma Technology:
- Custom dichroic mirror (ZT405/488/561/640-phaseR)
- Filter F1 (ET525/50m)
- Filter F2 (ET600/50m)
About Chroma Technology
Chroma Technology is a leading manufacturer and OEM supplier of high performance optical filters used in a wide range of applications, including health care, biomedical research, remote sensing, machine vision, and aerospace. Chroma offers an extensive selection of optical filter sets and filter accessories, as well as custom solutions tailored to customer-specific needs.
For more information or a quotation for this or other Chroma products, contact IL Photonics.

