Eric Betzig received the 2014 Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. At UC Berkeley, Betzig helps lead new initiatives in imaging technology, particularly at the intersection of physics, biology, and terabyte-scale image analysis. Research in the Betzig Lab at Janelia is advancing the understanding and application of multiple imaging technologies including: lattice light sheet, adaptive optics, cryogenic correlative light and electron microscopy, and live cell structured illumination microscopy. These advances are allowing scientists to reveal and decipher the structure and dynamics of living cells and tissues in unprecedented detail.
The method melds the best of super-resolution fluorescence and electron microscopy to show how proteins relate to cells’ fine structure. A powerful new technique combines expansion microscopy with lattice light-sheet microscopy for nanoscale imaging of fly and mouse neuronal circuits and their molecular constituents that’s roughly 1,000 times faster than other methods. Merging lattice light sheet microscopy with adaptive optics reveals the most detailed picture yet of subcellular dynamics in multicellular organisms. New imaging methods dramatically improve the spatial resolution provided by structured illumination microscopy, one of the best imaging techniques for seeing inside living cells. HHMI scientists are among 84 newly elected members. Lattice light sheet microscopy, a new imaging platform developed at Janelia, lets biologists see 3-D images of subcellular activity in real time. Janelia group leader Eric Betzig wins Nobel Prize for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy.