Advanced optical microscopy for life sciences: from optical sections to optical nanodissection Authors Lídia Bardia Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona Maria Marsal Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona Julien Colombelli Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona Keywords: optical microscopy, confocal microscope, laser, fluorescence, light sheet. Abstract Optical microscopy has undergone several revolutions in the past three decades with the advent of lasers and fluorescent proteins. By being able to label single molecules and proteins in living cells and organisms, scientists can now observe multiple cellular components and proteins simultaneously, moving across compartments and tissues and interacting with each other. As modern fluorescence microscopy is turning into truly molecular microscopy with specific techniques for the study of protein dynamics like FRAP or FRET, the capability of optical microscopes to generate highly resolved images, both in spatial and temporal dimensions, is also dramatically improving. In this chapter, we review the basic principles of fluorescence, the preparation of biological samples and the optical concepts behind the capability of confocal microscopy to generate threedimensional images on the basis of optical sections. We also approach laser based manipulation techniques such as laser nanosurgery and discuss modern applications in cell and development biology, in particular how cell ablation and intracellular surgery have now become important tools for interacting with multicellular tissues since they allow the probing of forces and biomechanical states of cells during important development processes of organisms. Lastly, we set forth the principles of one of the latest advances in fluorescence imaging, light sheet microscopy, which allows experimentalists to circumvent several major limitations of conventional and confocal microscopy by offering the capability of imaging deeply and for very long periods of time.Keywords: optical microscopy, confocal microscope, laser, fluorescence,light sheet. Downloads Download data is not yet available. Downloads PDF (Català) Issue Vol. 66 (2015) Section Destacats de recerca License The intellectual property of the articles belongs to the respective authors. 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