Basic information on confocal microscopy, includes: Specimen Preparation and Imaging; Objective Lens Parameters and Optical Section Thickness; The Objective Lens; Probes for Confocal Imaging; Autofluorescence; Collecting Images; Troubleshooting; Image Processing and Publication; - [Read Confocal Microscopy: Speciman Preparation and Imaging]
Diffraction-limited optical microscopy requires that the spatial resolution of an image is limited by the wavelength of the incident light & by the numerical apertures of the condenser & objective lens systems.The development of near-field scanning optical microscopy (scanning near-field optical microscopy) has allowed for a imaging technique that retains the various contrast mechanisms afforded by optical microscopy methods while attaining spatial resolution beyond the optical diffraction limit - [Read Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy]
Intermediate filaments (IF) are major cytoskeletal systems of vertebrate and many nonvertebrate cells whose expression is cell-type specific and developmentally regulated. This protocol describes a method for purifying one type of IF, vimentin, from bovine lens tissue. Purification of human vimentin expressed in Escherichia coli is also described. These methods are useful in the preparation of other IF protein subunits for microinjection studies as well. - [Read Purification of Bovine Lens and Bacterially Expressed Human Vimentin Protocol]