New kind of superresolution explores cell division

Interactions between structures at the nanoscale sync up with the way the whole cell contracts and expands during this vital process. Study: Opening long-time investigation window of living matter by nonbleaching phase intensity nanoscope A new way to see details smaller than half the wavelength of light has revealed how nanoscale scaffolding inside cells bridges to the macroscale during cell division. Unlike earlier superresolution techniques, the one developed and tested at the University of Michigan doesn't rely on molecules that wear out with prolonged use. Superresolution can reveal structures down to 10 nanometers, or about the same breadth as 100 atoms. It opened a whole new world in biology, and the techniques that first made it possible received a Nobel Prize in 2014. However, its weakness is that it can only take snapshots over tens of seconds. This makes it impossible to observe the evolution of the machinery of a cell over long periods of time.