MOLECULAR IMAGING AND RELATED METHODS

摘要

The present invention generally relates to imaging single molecules, or one or more collections of single molecules, and methods related to the imaging. In a method aspect, the present invention provides a method of imaging single molecules. The method comprises the steps of: a) exposing a test sample to a probe, wherein the probe comprises a first portion that specifically binds to a target molecule and a second portion that is detectable as the result of one or more chemical groups that interact with light at one or more wavelengths, wherein the probe binds to a target molecule to provide a complex; b) exposing the complex to one or more wavelengths of light that interact with the one or more chemical groups; c) detecting a result from the interacting of one or more wavelengths of light that interact with the one or more chemical groups to provide an image of one or more single molecules. The image possesses a resolution better than 450 nm over a view field area of at least 1×105 μm2, and wherein the image is obtained in a single detection step without variation of any detection settings.