New microscope techniques give deepest view yet of living cells

mouse embryonic fibroblast cell

A new microscopy technique called nonlinear SIM gives a better look at how the cell’s internal scaffolding, or cytoskeleton, changes over time. Shown is a still image from a video of cytoskeletal proteins in a mouse embryonic fibroblast cell. 

D. Li et al/Science 2015

Two new microscopy techniques are helping scientists see smaller structures in living cells than ever glimpsed before.