Table 1. Characteristics of Available Imaging Modalities

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Table 1. Characteristics of Available Imaging Modalities (acronyms)

	Technique	Unique Characteristics	Future Prospects	Bioinformatics
Visible Light (possible: 50 nm practical: 300 nm)	TIR Absorbance Scattering NLO Adaptive optics FRET Structured light illumination	Noninvasive In situ Wide range of time + length scales Functional analysis Coordinated release of caged molecules Microsurgery, microablation Characterization of individual cells and communities (biofilms)	Better probes, lanthanite dyes, quantum dots, nanoparticles, tetracysteine tags, genetically encoded nanoparticle sensors More versatile excitation sources Better detectors	3D visualization (online, offsite) Pattern recognition (spatial, spectral) Multiscale, multimethod data fusion
X Ray (20 nm)	Tomography Spectroscopy Microprobes	Thick, hydrated samples Whole cells Clean spectrum Organic functional group metal redox spectroscopy Molecular localization in ultrastructural context Characterization interactions	More versatile excitation sources Better detectors
EM (0.3 nm)	Tomography Molecular microscopy: Single particle Cryo	Whole cells or sections High-resolution molecular localizations in ultrastructural context Correlation with fluorescence	More versatile excitation sources Better detectors
Force Imaging	AFM tapping	Cell wall imaging Imaging of protein, nucleic-acid components	Better tips (higher-aspect ratio: Carbon nanotubes)
Force (manipulation, perturbation)	Optical tweezers Magnetic tweezers	Mechanical characteristics (cell wall) Thermodynamics and kinetics of transient interactions Characterization of the molecular-machine mechanochemistry Correlated mechanical properties	Combined single-molecule fluorescence, optical tweezers

Technique

Unique Characteristics

Future Prospects

Bioinformatics

Visible Light

(possible:
50 nm
practical:
300 nm)

TIR

Absorbance

Scattering

NLO

Adaptive optics

FRET

Structured light illumination

Noninvasive

In situ

Wide range of time + length scales

Functional analysis

Coordinated release of caged molecules

Microsurgery, microablation

Characterization of individual cells and communities (biofilms)

Better probes, lanthanite dyes, quantum dots,
nanoparticles, tetracysteine tags, genetically encoded nanoparticle sensors

More versatile excitation sources

Better detectors

3D visualization (online, offsite)

Pattern recognition (spatial, spectral)

Multiscale, multimethod data fusion

X Ray

(20 nm)

Tomography

Spectroscopy

Microprobes

Thick, hydrated samples

Whole cells

Clean spectrum

Organic functional group metal redox spectroscopy

Molecular localization in ultrastructural context

Characterization interactions

More versatile excitation sources

Better detectors

(0.3 nm)

Tomography

Molecular microscopy:

Single particle

Cryo

Whole cells or sections

High-resolution molecular localizations in ultrastructural context

Correlation with fluorescence

More versatile excitation sources

Better detectors

Force Imaging

AFM tapping

Cell wall imaging

Imaging of protein, nucleic-acid components

Better tips (higher-aspect ratio: Carbon nanotubes)

Force

(manipulation, perturbation)

Optical tweezers

Magnetic tweezers

Mechanical characteristics (cell wall)

Thermodynamics and kinetics of transient interactions

Characterization of the molecular-machine mechanochemistry

Correlated mechanical properties

Combined single-molecule fluorescence, optical tweezers

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science

Genomics:GTL

Table 1. Characteristics of Available Imaging Modalities (acronyms)

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