New Module Enables Super-Resolution Microscopy of Cell Organelles in Three Dimensions

Biotech researchers and other life scientists who employ advanced microscopy techniques are now able to move up to a state-of-the-art super-resolution microscopy system.

Zeiss (Jena, Germany) has introduced ELYRA P.1, a new module that makes possible three-dimensional (3D) super-resolution photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) for endogenously-expressed photo-switchable fluorescent proteins.


In PALM, photo-switchable fluorescent molecules are sparsely activated so that only one out of many will be in its on-state within a single point spread function (PSF). In 3D, the PSF shape codes for the z-position. The localizations are plotted in a new image to create the super-resolved image. ELYRA P.1 achieves resolutions in the range of 20–30 nanometers laterally and 50–80 nanometers axially. The ELYRA P.1 module captures highly resolved structures in 3D, while treating the sample so gently that it remains available for long-term observation.

The ELYRA system can be integrated with the Zeiss laser scanning microscopes LSM 710 or LSM 780. In addition, ELYRA works seamlessly together with Zeiss scanning electron microscopes.

“With ELYRA, researchers can investigate the structural arrangement of one or multiple proteins, reveal the ultrastructure of cell organelles in 2D and 3D as well as map and count molecules within a structure. Sophisticated algorithms relate photon statistics to precision information in all directions, so researchers can display their structures fully rendered in 3D,” said Dr. Klaus Weisshart, ELYRA product manager at Zeiss.

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