nanoskopie

Nanoskopie refers to a set of imaging methods that visualize structures at the nanometer scale, beyond the diffraction limit of conventional light microscopy. It includes optical super‑resolution techniques and, in a broader sense, non‑optical methods that provide nanometer‑scale information. The goal is to resolve features from about 1 to 100 nanometers, revealing cellular components, molecules, and nanomaterials.

Historically, ordinary light microscopy is limited by diffraction to roughly 200–250 nanometers. The development of super‑resolution fluorescence microscopy in the 2000s, with methods such as STED, PALM, STORM, and SIM, allowed reconstruction of images with much higher effective resolution.

Key approaches include optical super‑resolution methods such as STED (stimulated emission depletion), PALM and STORM (localization‑based techniques), and SIM (structured illumination). Another branch is near‑field optical microscopy, which uses a nanoscale tip, and electron nanoscopy, which provides very high resolution on suitable samples.

Applications span biology and materials science, enabling visualization of cytoskeletons, organelles, protein complexes, DNA organization, and nanostructured materials, often with fluorescent labeling or compatible contrast mechanisms.

Limitations include photobleaching, labeling density, imaging speed, and the technical complexity of instrumentation and data analysis. For live samples, there are trade‑offs between temporal and spatial resolution that must be managed.