Unveiling Biophysical and Biological Properties of a Hypothetical Membrane Receptor by Exploiting Recent Imaging Advances

Fluorescence microscopy is indispensable in the study of biological systems at various length scales. This rapidly evolving field continues to offer researchers cutting-edge techniques that enhance spatial and temporal resolution, especially with the invention of superresolution methodologies. In this chapter, we focus on techniques that have aided in the understanding of various cell biological phenomena. Each technique has certain boundaries of spatial and temporal resolution, and fluorophore density in a particular biological sample may limit the applicability of some techniques. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of many such techniques by considering their use in understanding the biological function of a hypothetical membrane receptor. We conclude that a combination of techniques is required to fully understand any cell biological process.