BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

New Resolution

New software optimises microscopy resolution

28 September 2019

New Resolution

Microscopy is enjoying huge leaps in recent technology and technique, bringing tiny life into sharp focus and allowing its processes to be studied like never before. Yet for the best results, techniques like super-resolution microscopy require optimisation – juggling mechanical settings of lenses and lasers with software for capturing images. Even then, scientists struggle with a question – how do you know if the image you’ve taken is the best it can be? Maybe just one more tweak in the right direction would reveal even more detail. In this artificially-coloured human cell, we see the results of a new computer algorithm. Designed to estimate an image’s resolution, it helps to spot when microscope settings could be improved further (left), guiding scientists towards a clearer, optimised image (right). Released as open-source software, such approaches will help researchers squeeze more information from their experiments, and value from their expensive microscopes.

Written by John Ankers

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.