Advances in Super-Resolution Optical Imaging and Microscopy
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 22 March 2026 | Viewed by 1
Special Issue Editors
Interests: super-resolution; multifocal structured illumination microscopy; nonlinear imaging; adaptive optics; second-harmonic generation; in vivo imaging; neuron
Interests: near-infrared fluorophores; fluorescence probe; super-resolution imaging; fluorescence lifetime imaging
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
For centuries, the diffraction barrier (~200-300 nm) confined optical microscopy, obscuring life's nanoscale machinery. Super-resolution microscopy (SRM) shattered this limit through techniques like STED, SIM, and SMLM (PALM/STORM), enabling 10-100 nm visualization of protein complexes, viral structures, and synaptic dynamics. Its evolution now prioritizes capturing real-time cellular dynamics via live-cell imaging, enhanced by nanoprobe development and deep learning analytics. Integration with multimodal platforms further unlocks correlative insights, cementing SRM's indispensable role in decoding fundamental biology and advancing theranostics for precision medicine.
We are pleased to invite submissions to this Special Issue focused on Super-Resolution Optical Imaging and Microscopy. This Special Issue aims to consolidate cutting-edge advances in SRM techniques (including but not limited to STED, SIM, SMLM, and emerging modalities), highlight innovations in live-cell nanoscale dynamics tracking, novel probe design, AI-driven image analysis, and multimodal integration strategies. We seek to showcase research that addresses the current limitations in spatiotemporal resolution, phototoxicity, and tissue penetration while emphasizing transformative biological discoveries and clinical applications. By bridging fundamental technological breakthroughs with real-world impact in biomedicine, materials science, and diagnostics, this collection will establish a roadmap for SRM's future. Original research, reviews, and methodological perspectives are welcome.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Live-cell and intravitalSRM techniques;
- AI/deep learning for SRM reconstruction and analysis;
- Advanced fluorescent probe/nanoprobe engineering;
- Correlative multimodal super-resolution microscopy;
- Synaptic and neural circuit ultrastructure imaging;
- Viral and pathogen–host interaction nanoscopy;
- Quantitative analysis of cellular dynamics and organization;
- SRM-enabled theranostic platform development.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Chenshuang Zhang
Dr. Zhenlong Huang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- super-resolution microscopy
- live-cell super-resolution imaging
- cellular dynamics
- multimodal imaging
- theranostics
- cellular dynamics
- deep learning
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