Doubling the resolution of fluorescence-lifetime single-molecule localization microscopy with image scanning microscopy

Abstract

In this study, we integrate a single-photon detector array into a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM), enabling the combination of Fluorescence Life-time Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy (FL-SMLM) with Image Scanning Microscopy (ISM). This unique combination delivers a two-fold improvement in lateral localization accuracy for SMLM while maintaining its simplicity. More-over, the addition of lifetime information from our CLSM eliminates chromatic aberration, particularly crucial for achieving few-nanometer resolution in SMLM. Our approach, named Fluorescence Lifetime ISM-SMLM (FL-iSMLM), is demon-strated through direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (dSTORM) and DNA Point Accumulation for Imaging in Nanoscale Topography (DNA-PAINT) experiments on fluorescently labelled cells, showcasing both resolution enhancement and fluorescence lifetime multiplexing capabilities.