The resolution at which fluorescent molecules can be visualized depends greatly on the preparation of the sample and the objectives used, but this can be limited by out of focus light being collected in a focal plane.
Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRF) makes use of specific optics to produce illumination light only at the 50-100 nm range at the interface of the slide, massively reducing out of focus light and improving the ability to detect fluorescent molecules. Because of its low light intensity and high spatial resolution, it is a key technique in live-cell imaging.
TIRF is typically a very low-light technique so one of the main challenges is to collect as many of the emitted photons as possible to maximize signal to noise ratio so a highly sensitive camera is desired.
Recommended Cameras for TIRF Microscopy
Prime 95B
Back-Illuminated sCMOS with Large Pixels
- Highly sensitive back-illuminated sCMOS for science
- 95% QE and low noise levels
- Large 11 µm pixels
Kinetix
High Speed, Large Sensor sCMOS
- Faster: 500 fps full-frame to capture dynamic samples
- Bigger: 29 mm, 10 MP sensor for high-content imaging
- More Sensitive: 96% QE and sub-electron read noise
Prime BSI Express
Compact, Powerful sCMOS for High-Speed Imaging
- Highly sensitive back-illuminated sCMOS for science
- 95% QE and ultra-low 1.0 e⁻ read noise
- 95 fps over USB 3.2
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