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Illinois IGB

Gallery

Art of Science Gallery 06

aos06_12
Unborn Sun

Zeiss LSM 880 Airyscan; Imaris 3D visualization package

Mayandi Sivaguru

Surangi Punyasena Laboratory

Funded by the NSF

Superresolution microscopy is used as an alternative to scanning electron microscopy to study incredibly small structures, like the surface texture of the sunflower pollen grains that dance through this image. Special labeling techniques enhance the contrast of the image to reveal details that are otherwise not visible in conventional microscopy. There are many useful applications for this technology, including identification of pollen types in ecological studies and in forensics.