Direct-Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (d-STORM)

Single molecules of SNAP-25, a protein involved in neurotransmission, tagged to an Alexa-647 antibody (imaged under total internal reflection microscopy) can be triggered to cycle between light and dark states, allowing for single molecules to be resolved. You will see all of the molecules switch on at first followed by transition into the dark state. What is left is a less dense population of proteins actively fluorescing, which allows us to be able to localise these single proteins in space.