Yoav Shechtman

3D single-molecule super-resolution microscopy with a tilted light sheet

Tilted light sheet microscopy with 3D point spread functions (TILT3D) combines a novel, tilted light sheet illumination strategy with long axial range point spread functions (PSFs) for low-background, 3D super-localization of single molecules as well as 3D super-resolution imaging in thick cells. Because the axial positions of the single emitters are encoded in the shape of each single-molecule image rather than in the position or thickness of the light sheet, the light sheet need not be extremely thin. TILT3D is built upon a standard inverted microscope and has minimal custom parts. The result is simple and flexible 3D super-resolution imaging with tens of nm localization precision throughout thick mammalian cells. We validate TILT3D for 3D super-resolution imaging in mammalian cells by imaging mitochondria and the full nuclear lamina using the double-helix PSF for single-molecule detection and the recently developed tetrapod PSFs for fiducial bead tracking and live axial drift correction.Light-sheet single-molecule 3D super-resolution microscopes can’t image close to a coverslip orxa0may require complex apparatus. Here the authors overcome such limitations using a tilted light sheet strategy with long axial range point spread functions on a standard inverted microscope.

Measurement-based estimation of global pupil functions in 3D localization microscopy

We report the use of a phase retrieval procedure based on maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to produce an improved, experimentally calibrated model of a point spread function (PSF) for use in three-dimensional (3D) localization microscopy experiments. The method estimates a global pupil phase function (which includes both the PSF and system aberrations) over the full axial range from a simple calibration scan. The pupil function is used to refine the PSF model and hence enable superior localizations from experimental data. To demonstrate the utility of the procedure, we apply it to experimental data acquired with a microscope employing a tetrapod PSF with a 6 µm axial range. The phase-retrieved model demonstrates significant improvements in both accuracy and precision of 3D localizations relative to the model based on scalar diffraction theory. The localization precision of the phase-retrieved model is shown to be near the limits imposed by estimation theory, and the reproducibility of the procedure is characterized and discussed. Code which performs the phase retrieval algorithm is provided.

Observation of live chromatin dynamics in cells via 3D localization microscopy using Tetrapod point spread functions

We report the observation of chromatin dynamics in living budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells, in three-dimensions (3D). Using dual color localization microscopy and employing a Tetrapod point spread function, we analyze the spatio-temporal dynamics of two fluorescently labeled DNA loci surrounding the GAL locus. From the measured trajectories, we obtain different dynamical characteristics in terms of inter-loci distance and temporal variance; when the GAL locus is activated, the 3D inter-loci distance and temporal variance increase compared to the inactive state. These changes are visible in spite of the large thermally- and biologically-driven heterogeneity in the relative motion of the two loci. Our observations are consistent with current euchromatin vs. heterochromatin models.

Tilted light sheet microscopy with 3D point spread functions for single-molecule super-resolution imaging in mammalian cells

To obtain a complete picture of subcellular nanostructures, cells must be imaged with high resolution in all three dimensions (3D). Here, we present tilted light sheet microscopy with 3D point spread functions (TILT3D), an imaging platform that combines a novel, tilted light sheet illumination strategy with engineered long axial range point spread functions (PSFs) for low-background, 3D super localization of single molecules as well as 3D super-resolution imaging in thick cells. TILT3D is built upon a standard inverted microscope and has minimal custom parts. The axial positions of the single molecules are encoded in the shape of the PSF rather than in the position or thickness of the light sheet, and the light sheet can therefore be formed using simple optics. The result is flexible and user-friendly 3D super-resolution imaging with tens of nm localization precision throughout thick mammalian cells. We validated TILT3D for 3D superresolution imaging in mammalian cells by imaging mitochondria and the full nuclear lamina using the double-helix PSF for single-molecule detection and the recently developed Tetrapod PSF for fiducial bead tracking and live axial drift correction. We envision TILT3D to become an important tool not only for 3D super-resolution imaging, but also for live whole-cell single-particle and single-molecule tracking.

Experimental demonstration of sparsity-based single-shot fluorescence imaging at sub-wavelength resolution

We present, in experiments and simulations, a novel technique facilitating subwavelength resolution in a single-shot fluorescence imaging without capturing multiple frames, thereby enabling video-rate super-resolution imaging within living cells.

Localization beyond the diffraction limit (Conference Presentation)

Point spread function (PSF) engineering has extended far-field localization microscopy into three dimensions by encoding the axial position of each emitter into the shape of its image on the detector. By fitting the observed PSF to a model function, one can extract position information with sub-diffraction precision. However, in practice this procedure is often complicated by optical aberrations present in the imaging system, which distort the shape of the observed PSF relative to the model function. The mismatch between the model and observed PSFs can limit the accuracy and precision achieved by the localization procedure. Here, we present a simple method to experimentally improve the model PSF by phase retrieval of the pupil function of the imaging system using a set of images of an isolated emitter at different displacements from the focal plane. The pupil function is estimated by adding a phase term consisting of a combination of Zernike modes to the theoretical electric field at the back focal plane of the microscope. The amplitudes of the Zernike modes are determined by maximizing the likelihood function over all pixels in the experimental data set. Importantly, since all data is taken with the phase mask in place, we account for any aberrations it introduces. Using the resulting pupil function, we generate a model PSF which is significantly improved over the theoretical model in both the accuracy and precision of experimental emitter localizations. We also provide a MATLAB package which performs the entire fitting procedure, from phase retrieval to single-emitter localization.

Multicolor single-molecule imaging by spectral point-spread-function engineering (Conference Presentation)

We extend the information content of the microscope’s point-spread-function (PSF) by adding a new degree of freedom: spectral information. We demonstrate controllable encoding of a microscopic emitter’s spectral information (color) and 3D position in the shape of the microscope’s PSF. The design scheme works by exploiting the chromatic dispersion of an optical element placed in the optical path. By using numerical optimization we design a single physical pattern that yields different desired phase delay patterns for different wavelengths. To demonstrate the method’s applicability experimentally, we apply it to super-resolution imaging and to multiple particle tracking.

Optimal Point Spread Function for 3D High-Precision Imaging

We generate an information-optimal point spread function (PSF) for localization-based 3D imaging. Such a PSF exhibits excellent localization precision by design, as we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally, and can be tailored for specific imaging parameters.

Optimal Point Spread Function Engineering for 3D Super-Resolution Imaging

We propose a framework for pupil plane engineering which produces optimal point spread functions (PSFs) in terms of theoretical information content. We generate and experimentally demonstrate maximally informative PSFs for high background 3D super-resolution imaging.