Microscopy

Microscopy is an umbrella term to describe techniques used to analyse small samples that cannot be viewed with the naked eye. There is a wide range of microscopy techniques and scientific instruments available that can be used depending on their applications. A microscope magnifies tiny objects or samples and can provide a wealth of vital information about their cell structure, contamination, parasites and so much more.

This hub will contain all of the information you need to know about microscopy and will include the latest news and fascinating research articles. Whether you are looking to expand your knowledge of compound microscopes or fluorescence microscopy, you will find it all here under featured articles and the latest interviews.

What is Microscopy?

The word microscope is derived from the Greek “mikros”, meaning small and, “skopein” meaning to see.

Two-photon Microscopy Principles and Methodology

‘Staining’ of Biological Samples when Using Electron Microscopy: Why stain density matters

Confocal Reflection Microscopy for Cell Migration Studies

Optical Microscopy: An Overview

Live-Cell Imaging with Super-Resolution Microscopy

Applications of Polarized Light Microscopy

How Do Spectrometer Accessories Elevate Instrument Capabilities?

What is Expansion Microscopy?

Advantages and Limitations of Fluorescence Microscopy

Transmission Electron Microscopy: An Overview

Optimizing Live Cell Imaging with FRET Microscopy

See more featured articles »

Microscopy in Oncology Research: Visualizing Tumor Microenvironments

Light Microscopy Techniques in Virology: An Overview

Intravital Kidney Microscopy: An Overview

What is High-Resolution TEM (HR-TEM)?

How do Epifluorescence Microscopes Work?

Differentiating Tumors using Microscopy

Microscopy and Artificial Intelligence

Microscopy’s Involvement in Brain Imaging

Imaging Techniques in Drug Discovery

Imaging Nuclear Structures Using AFM

The Determination of Post-Mortem Interval (PMI) Using Transmission Electron Microscopy

Visualizing the 3D Architecture of Tissues

TEM Imaging Modes

Why Size Matters in Microscopy

Using Electron Microscopy to Detect Viruses

Electron Microscopy: An Overview

Optimizing Live Cell Imaging with FRET Microscopy

Applications of IVIS (In Vivo Imaging Systems)

Understanding the Brain Through Electron Microscopy

Applications of Scanning Electron Microscopy

What are Polarized Light Microscopes and How Do They Work?

Role of Microscopy in Ballistics

Investigating the Applications of Meoscopy

TEM Imaging Modes

What is FIB-SEM?

Fluorescence Microscopy: An Overview

‘Staining’ of Biological Samples when Using Electron Microscopy: Why stain density matters

X-ray Microscopy: An Overview

Diagnosing Alzheimer's Using Microscopy

Applications of 3D X-ray Microscopy

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): An Overview

Uses of Microscopy in Forensics

Investigating the Intersection between Microscopy and Healthcare

The Digital Evolution of Microscopy

Using Microscopy for Deep In Vivo Brain Imaging

What is Confocal Imaging?

Light Microscopy Techniques in Virology: An Overview

What is 3D X-Ray Microscopy?

Scanning Helium Microscopy: An Overview

Phase-Contrast Microscopy: An Overview

What is Environmental Forensic Microscopy?

Microscopes in Forensic Epidemiology- An Overview

Deep Learning in Fluorescence Microscopy

Cryo-Electron Microscopy: An Overview

Using Scanning Electron Microscopy to Image SARS-CoV-2

Advances in Fluorescence Microscopy

Confocal Microscopy: An Overview

Photobleaching in Fluorescence Microscopy

Advances in Scanning Electron Microscopy

Identifying Corpses Using Microscopy

Avoiding Cell Death in Fluorescence Microscopy

Expansion Microscopy in Neurology

Latest Microscopy News and Research

Dense Early Brain Networks Become Structured Through Developmental Pruning

One important area of the brain involved in memory formation and spatial orientation is the hippocampus. It helps people remember and expand upon their experiences by converting short-term memories into long-term ones.

27 Apr 2026

New Methods Increase Understanding of How Bacteria Manage DNA

New analytical methods developed at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions have increased our understanding of how bacteria manage DNA.

23 Apr 2026

AI-Powered Microscopy Enables Real-Time Imaging of Living Cells

Using artificial intelligence, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new way to watch the inner workings of living cells in real time.

22 Apr 2026

Brain Immune Cells Play Key Role in Glioblastoma Tumor Infiltration

Glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive brain tumor type in adults, remains difficult to treat because it can infiltrate surrounding brain tissue and spread far beyond the main tumor.

22 Apr 2026

Epigenetic Regulators Shape Gene Activity in Unexpected Ways

A new study finds the proteins responsible for controlling which genes are expressed in a genome do more than simply turn a gene on or off.

21 Apr 2026

Stem Cell Model Reveals Mechanics of Early Human Embryo Development

For the first time, a stem cell model has produced a structure resembling an early human embryo with a yolk-sac-like structure, from a single starting stem cell population and without direct genetic manipulation.

21 Apr 2026

How Mitochondrial Damage Accelerates Stem Cell Aging

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells that produce all blood cell types, start to lose their efficacy as one ages, which eventually reduces the ability to maintain healthy blood and a robust immune system.

17 Apr 2026

Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals How Anabaena Maintains Its Rectangular Shape

Photosynthetic bacteria helped shape Planet Earth. Among them are cyanobacteria that produced the oxygen in our atmosphere and made complex life possible, captivating scientists for decades. Now, researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) report a surprising new discovery-a system thought to separate DNA has developed to sculpt the shape of the cell in cyanobacteria instead. The results, published in Science, shed light on how protein systems evolve and how multicellularity emerged in this type of ecologically essential bacteria.

17 Apr 2026

Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals Structure of Borna Virus RNA Protein Complex

Cases of Borna disease virus 1, or BoDV-1, are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain.

13 Apr 2026

Semen-Derived Exosomes Eye Drops to Treat Retinoblastoma

Innovative eye drops using semen-derived exosomes target retinoblastoma, improving therapeutic delivery and preserving ocular function in preclinical models.

8 Apr 2026

New Tool Directly Transfers Cytoplasm and Organelles Between Living Cells

Cells are not isolated units; they continuously exchange proteins, genetic material, and even entire organelles with their neighbors.

6 Apr 2026

Pearling Mechanism Regulates Precise Spacing of Mitochondrial DNA

Mitochondria are often described as the cell's power plants, because they generate energy. To help them achieve this, mitochondria carry their own small genome called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

3 Apr 2026

Regenerative Vascular Grafts Solve Key Shortage In Surgery

Engineered biotubes demonstrate strong mechanical performance and rapid tissue regeneration, offering a scalable solution to the vascular graft shortage.

2 Apr 2026

Nonviral Nanoparticles Show Promise for Safer Gene Delivery Methods

In a demonstration that helps pave the way for gene therapies with fewer side effects, several human cell types were genetically modified with protein nanoparticles designed at University of Michigan Engineering and Michigan Medicine.

1 Apr 2026

Discovery Challenges the Theory That Proteins Move Mainly by Diffusion

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have uncovered a previously unknown system of internal "trade winds" that help cells rapidly move essential proteins to the front of the cell, reshaping how researchers understand cell migration, cancer spread and wound healing.

31 Mar 2026

New Technology Enables Whole-Body Analysis of Gene Expression

Understanding gene expression within the body has been a boon for 21st century biology and therapeutics, but most discoveries that use these technologies only focus on one organ or one small area of tissue.

30 Mar 2026

New Platform Models Cancer Metastasis and Cell Cluster Survival

Metastasis, the spread of cancer from a primary tumor to other parts of the body, is difficult to study in the lab, in part because researchers lack reliable ways to recreate the conditions cancer cells encounter as they travel through the bloodstream.

28 Mar 2026

Microtubules Act as Active Regulators of Key Cellular Enzymatic Reactions

Microtubules, the dynamic filaments that form the cell's internal scaffolding, have long been viewed as mere passive structural supports. But a new study reveals they play a far more active signaling role.

27 Mar 2026

Newly Discovered CRISPR System Activates Genes Without Cutting DNA

In back-to-back studies published in Nature, researchers from Purdue University and Columbia University report a naturally evolved gene-editing system that can activate genes, offering an advantage over existing CRISPR gene-editing systems that merely find and cut DNA.

26 Mar 2026

NAC Complex Triggers Protein Folding at Earliest Stage of Synthesis

In the earliest phase of creating human proteins, the protein complex NAC performs an essential task by starting the first steps towards folding proteins into their correct three-dimensional structures.

24 Mar 2026