Although single-molecule imaging techniques offer better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy, they can be complex and time-consuming.
Because single-molecule imaging techniques look at each molecule individually, in principle it is possible to count each photoactivation event as representing one fluorophore.
Although previous studies have suggested that multiple mRNAs may be stored in the same mRNP granules (Gao et al., 2008), recently developed single-RNA-molecule imaging techniques revealed, unexpectedly, that even mRNAs containing the same class of cis-element do not colocalize, but travel individually (Amrute-Nayak and Bullock, 2012; Batish et al., 2012; Mikl et al., 2011).
Narayan and colleagues [ 88] have recently used single-molecule imaging techniques to investigate interactions between Aβ peptides and hippocampal cell membranes and reported results indicating that Aβ oligomers preferentially interact with membranes compared with Aβ monomer, thereby providing support for the results observed in the microdialysis studies.
The combination of a high resolution single molecule imaging technique and in vivo bacterial lysis assays have allowed us to elucidate the mechanism of action of S1 with direct physiological relevance.
One 3 D structure that has been imaged using single-molecule imaging techniques is the mitochondrion [ 15].
It is difficult to image deep into cells with single-molecule imaging techniques.
The latter condition was introduced in order to understand the effects of fixing one end in single-molecule imaging techniques.
It is much faster than single-molecule imaging techniques, making live-cell imaging highly practical [ 24].
To dissect the mechanism of FSM, we directly observed IFT, FMG1-B and gliding motilities using single-molecule imaging techniques.
