远场超分辨随机光重建显微镜(STORM)研究进展

了解细胞内分子尺度的动态和结构的特征是生命科学迫切需要解决的问题,要求远场光学成像要求纳米或亚纳米量级的空间分辨率.介绍了一种实现打破衍射极限的远场荧光显微成像技术--随机光重建显微术(STORM),其分辨率可以达到横向分辨率20 nm,轴向分辨率50 nm,理论上这种方法的空间分辨率可以达到单分子定位的精度.具体介绍...     

活细胞内单个大分子的行为

以往细胞内大分子活动的研究,多数是许多分子活动的一个平均结果,即一种集群平均（ensemble averaging）的结果,随着各种技术,特别是光学及荧光检测技术的成熟,实时视见活细胞内单个大分子的时代已经到来.在现时条件下,有许多方法可供选择,如荧光共振能量转移、原子力显微镜、全内反射显微技术、荧光相关光谱法等等.“活细胞内单个大分子的行为”的研究有可能为了解活细胞内单个分子的活动带来完全新的认识,但目前还存在不少方法学上的局限性,有待进一步提高,如有效的特异标记物、细胞深部荧光的检测、新型显微镜的开发等.     

纳米光学和生物单分子探测

纳米光学技术展示了纳米级探测本领，同时生物单分子探测所需要分辨尺度也是纳米数量级的，因此在生物单分子探测过程中，纳米光学发挥了巨大的作用．文章介绍了与生物单分子探测技术相关的纳米光学技术，包括量子近场光学探针技术、近场光学成像技术(包括扫描近场光学显微术及全内反射荧光显微术)和激光光钳测控技术及它们在生物单分子探测上的进展，从而在染色、成像、测控三个方面展示了纳米光学技术在生物方面的应用，并对其未来的发展方向进行了展望．     

单分子物理与化学的新进展

本文对新兴边缘学科-单分子物理与化学的一些研究进展进行简要综述。在对单分子科学中几类基本实验技术如扫描隧道显微术和光镊技术等作了简要介绍之后,重点评述了单分子实验技术和研究方法在物理、化学、生物和分子电子学等学科领域的应用和影响。基于扫描隧道显微术和电子结构计算,列举了最近几个关于单分子高分辨表征、单分子器件和单分子量子调控等方面的研究实例。最后对单分子物理与化学的发展前景进行了展望。     

单分子物理与化学的新进展

本文对新兴边缘学科-单分子物理与化学的一些研究进展进行简要综述。在对单分子科学中几类基本实验技术如扫描隧道显微术和光镊技术等作了简要介绍之后,重点评述了单分子实验技术和研究方法在物理、化学、生物和分子电子学等学科领域的应用和影响。基于扫描隧道显微术和电子结构计算,列举了最近几个关于单分子高分辨表征、单分子器件和单分子量子调控等方面的研究实例。最后对单分子物理与化学的发展前景进行了展望。     

细胞内单颗粒示踪技术的进展

单颗粒示踪（Single particle tracking,SPT）技术是应用显微镜系统对细胞内单个特定荧光或散射颗粒的定位和追踪。由于SPT能够实时监控活细胞内复杂、高度动态的组织结构的变化并提供结构—功能间的动力学关系,因此在细胞生物学上有重要的应用。本文总结了SPT的机理以及在细胞上的应用,首先介绍了SPT的动力学原理,包括单颗粒定位,轨道重建以及轨道分析,然后总结了SPT技术现阶段重点发展的光学材料及仪器,最后阐述了SPT在细胞膜、细胞内信号通路、分子转运机制、遗传信息表达以及病毒感染机制的应用。此外,本文还对SPT技术未来的发展进行了展望。     

单分子科学进展

综述了新兴边缘学科－－单分子科学的进展。对单分子科学的基本实验技术即扫描探针显微术、荧光技术和光镊技术进行了介绍。结合众多的实例（如：对单原子的直接操纵、直接测量化学键强度、在DNA链上“拔河”、用单个C60分子作放大器等）评述了单分子科学方法在各学科领域的广泛应用,以及单分子科学对它们产生的深远影响。最后对单分子科学的发展前景进行了展望。     

全内反射荧光显微术

全内反射荧光显微技术是当今世界上最具前途的新型生物光学显微技术之一 ,可以用来实现对单个荧光分子的直接探测。它利用全内反射产生的隐失波照明样品 ,使照明区域限定在样品表面的一薄层范围内 ,因此具有其它光学成像技术无法比拟的高的信噪比和对比度。近年来 ,已被生物物理学家们广泛应用于单分子的荧光成像中。本文系统的介绍了全内反射荧光显微技术的原理、国内外的发展和现状及其在生物学上的应用 ,并对其未来做了展望。     

基于ICCD的快速荧光显微成像技术及在活细胞研究中的初步应用

利用像增强型CCD、氩离子激光器和氙灯等建立了一套快速荧光显微成像系统,并初步应用于活细胞研究。实时观测和拍摄了大鼠脑微血管内皮细胞增殖分裂过程中细胞内钙敏感荧光探针Fluo-3标记的钙离子浓度分布快速变化的图像,并选取动态图像中四个典型的点给出荧光强度灰度值的变化曲线。该系统可用于高灵敏实时记录活细胞内基于荧光显微成像的快速变化过程,为活细胞的研究提供了一种很好的观察和分析手段。     

单分子定位超分辨显微成像技术研究进展及展望(特邀综述)

随着新型荧光探针、先进激光、高灵敏光电探测器等相关领域的不断发展,突破衍射极限的超分辨光学显微技术为现代生物医学研究提供了新的有力工具,其中的单分子定位技术利用荧光分子的光开关效应,实现了亚细胞结构的纳米精度超分辨成像.本文介绍了单分子定位超分辨显微技术的基本原理与实现,例举了其在细胞生物学、组织生物学以及神经科学等方面的应用,讨论了该技术目前的发展趋势及可能的改进方向,为相关领域科学研究提供参考.超分辨光学显微技术的不断创新将推动生命科学的新发展.     

基于光热效应的显微光谱技术在单粒子检测中应用和发展

高灵敏度的单粒子检测技术是纳米粒子在生物医学、化学、光电子等领域应用的前提条件。常见的单粒子检测技术主要包括基于粒子的荧光、拉曼、散射和吸收等信号而发展起来的光学显微成像及光谱技术。其中,拉曼光谱和荧光光谱技术主要适用于一些具有拉曼活性的分子/粒子或可发光的荧光分子或粒子,然而即使对于荧光效率高的有机染料分子和半导体纳米粒子,固有的光漂白和blinking现象也对单粒子探测形成了挑战。散射光谱测量是应用于单粒子检测的另外一种方法,从理论上讲,由于瑞利散射随着尺寸的减小而呈六次方减弱的趋势,在细胞或生物组织内,小尺寸粒子的散射信号很难从背景散射噪声中分离出来。众所周知,介质吸收激发光后会引起介质内的折射率变化,进而在光加热区附近出现折射率的梯度分布,称为光热效应(photothermal effect)。基于粒子光热效应的光学显微成像和光谱测量技术具有信号灵敏度高、无背景散射、原位和免标记等优点,在单粒子检测领域展现了良好的应用潜力。综述了近年来基于光热效应的显微光谱技术在单粒子检测中应用和研究发展,首先介绍了光热效应的测量原理;接着分别讨论了光热透镜测量技术、微分干涉相差测量技术和光热外差测量技术的实验装置,比较了各种测量技术的信噪比、灵敏度、分辨率等特点,并且介绍这些测量技术在单粒子检测中的应用研究进展;接着,论述了近年来研究人员在提高光热显微测量的信噪比、改善动态测量性能以及在红外波段拓展等方面的最新研究成果;最后,简单总结了光热测量技术在单粒子检测领域所面临的挑战。     

全内反射荧光显微术

全内反射荧光显微技术是当今世界上最具前途的新型生物光学显微技术之一，可以用来实现对单个荧光分子的直接探测。它利用全内反射产生的隐失波照明样品，使照明区域限定在样品表面的一薄层范围内，因此具有其它光学成像技术无法比拟的高的信噪比和对比度。近上来，已被生物物理学家们广泛应用于单分子的荧光成像中。本文系统的介绍了全内反射荧光显微技术的原理。国内外的发展和现状及其在生物学上的应用，并对其未来做了展望。     

Tracking of fluorescent molecules diffusing within membranes

A new method is proposed for tracking fluorescing single molecules diffusing within a two-dimensional membrane. It is based on a confocal microscopy setup with a constantly rotating laser focus, which follows the position of the molecule. The optimization and efficiency of the method are theoretically studied for a broad range of experimentally realistic conditions. The proposed method allows for a long-time observation of diffusing molecules while allowing the application of fast spectroscopic techniques such as fluorescence decay time determination or fluorescence anisotropy measurements. Received: 14 January 2000 / Published online: 13 September 2000     

拉直的单个DNA分子的全内反射荧光实时成像研究

全内反射荧光(TIRF)成像技术利用穿透深度仅200 nm左右的隐失波来激发诱导荧光,探测灵敏度和图像信噪比大大提高,成为单分子研究的有力工具。分子梳技术利用DNA末端与固体表面的结合力和周围流体流动产生的侧向力将DNA分子拉伸并平铺在表面上。结合这两种技术,对分子梳拉直的单个DNA分子进行了清晰的实时荧光成像,发现TIRF成像条件下DNA分子与荧光探针YOYO-1组成的复合体可自然避免发生光敏断裂现象;实时监测了单个DNA-YOYO-1复合体的光漂白过程,通过对激发光照射时间与探测器曝光时间进行同步控制,可大幅降低光漂白程度,为拉直的单个DNA分子的长时间实时观察和成像研究优化了实验条件,为实时、可视化地研究其与蛋白质相互作用的动力学过程奠定了基础。     

Potential of protoporphyrin IX and metal derivatives for single molecule fluorescence studies

Metalloporphyrins are cofactors of a variety of proteins, and are often used as spectroscopic probes of the active site. Many high resolution techniques, such as single molecule spectroscopy, are based on fluorescence contrast and require the replacement of the native metalloporphyrin by a fluorescent analog. We have investigated the potential of several fluorescent analogs of heme, namely free-base protoporphyrin IX and its metal derivatives containing Zn, Sn, and Mg, for single molecule fluorescence studies by determining their room-temperature molecular absorption cross sections and fluorescence quantum yields. According to these data, free-base protoporphyrin IX and its Zn derivative, which have the highest fluorescence quantum yields, are the most suitable heme analogs for single molecule fluorescence studies.     

Repetition rate multipliers for efficient implementation of multiphoton and pump-probe fluorescence microscopy

With the advances in pulsed laser systems, microscopic imaging techniques such as multiphoton and pump-probe fluorescence microscopy have developed into effective tools for investigating intensity and time-resolved phenomena inside biological systems. However, pulsed lasers used in these techniques usually are commercial systems with repetition frequencies of around 80 MHz. While these systems have proven to be adequate for multiphoton and pump-probe microscopic imaging applications, the temporal separation of the laser pulse train (around 12.5 ns) is long compared to the fluorescence lifetimes of many common fluorescence species. In this work, we present the designs of repetition rate multipliers based on passive optical components that can be used to increase the efficiency in multiphoton and pump-probe fluorescence microscopy. Depending on the lifetime of fluorescence molecules under investigation, the passive repetition rate multiplier can increase the duty cycle of multiphoton or pump-probe microscopy up to fourfold.     

Fluorescence lifetime imaging in biosciences: technologies and applications

The biosciences require the development of methods that allow a non-invasive and rapid investigation of biological systems. In this aspect, high-end imaging techniques allow intravital microscopy in real-time, providing information on a molecular basis. Far-field fluorescence imaging techniques are some of the most adequate methods for such investigations. However, there are great differences between the common fluorescence imaging techniques, i.e., wide-field, confocal one-photon and two-photon microscopy, as far as their applicability in diverse bioscientific research areas is concerned. In the first part of this work, we briefly compare these techniques. Standard methods used in the biosciences, i.e., steady-state techniques based on the analysis of the total fluorescence signal originating from the sample, can successfully be employed in the study of cell, tissue and organ morphology as well as in monitoring the macroscopic tissue function. However, they are mostly inadequate for the quantitative investigation of the cellular function at the molecular level. The intrinsic disadvantages of steady-state techniques are countered by using time-resolved techniques. Among these fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is currently the most common. Different FLIM principles as well as applications of particular relevance for the biosciences, especially for fast intravital studies are discussed in this work.      

Fluorescence lifetime imaging in biosciences: technologies and applications

The biosciences require the development of methods that allow a non-invasive and rapid investigation of biological systems. In this aspect, high-end imaging techniques allow intravital microscopy in real-time, providing information on a molecular basis. Far-field fluorescence imaging techniques are some of the most adequate methods for such investigations. However, there are great differences between the common fluorescence imaging techniques, i.e., wide-field, confocal one-photon and two-photon microscopy, as far as their applicability in diverse bioscientific research areas is concerned. In the first part of this work, we briefly compare these techniques. Standard methods used in the biosciences, i.e., steady-state techniques based on the analysis of the total fluorescence signal originating from the sample, can successfully be employed in the study of cell, tissue and organ morphology as well as in monitoring the macroscopic tissue function. However, they are mostly inadequate for the quantitative investigation of the cellular function at the molecular level. The intrinsic disadvantages of steady-state techniques are countered by using time-resolved techniques. Among these fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is currently the most common. Different FLIM principles as well as applications of particular relevance for the biosciences, especially for fast intravital studies are discussed in this work.