Revealing the nanoscale morphology of the primary cilium using super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (Biophysical Journal)

Super-resolution (SR) microscopy has been used to observe structural details beyond the diffraction limit of ~250 nm in a variety of biological and materials systems. By combining this imaging technique with both computer-vision algorithms and topological methods, we reveal and quantify the nanoscale morphology of the primary cilium, a tiny tubular cellular structure (~2-6 ?m long and 200-300 nm diameter). The cilium in mammalian cells protrudes out of the plasma membrane and is important in many signaling processes related to cellular differentiation and disease.