# Bielefeld and Vienna researchers combine SIM and FLIM for 156 nm imaging of living cells

- Published: 2026-11-06 05:41 UTC
- Section: Science › Instruments & experiments
- Tags: FLIM-SIM, structured illumination microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging, super-resolution microscopy, 156 nanometers, CHEM-SCAN project, Optica, drug research, live-cell imaging
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-d37cdd369505385ee30addff_bielefeld_and_vienna/

**The FLIM-SIM method, demonstrated on a human bone cancer cell line, resolves cell structures and reports on their molecular environment. It is intended for drug research.**

![Bielefeld and Vienna researchers combine SIM and FLIM for 156 nm imaging of living cells](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/8d3a483a8532fab8.jpg)
*ZEISS Microscopy from Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0*

Researchers from Bielefeld University and the University of Vienna have developed a microscopy technique that combines super-resolution imaging with fluorescence lifetime measurements, EurekAlert reported on 5 November 2026. The work was carried out within the European CHEM-SCAN project and published in the journal Optica. According to the authors, the method reaches a spatial resolution of 156 nanometers and can capture rapid processes in living cells. [1]

## How FLIM-SIM combines two techniques

The method joins structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). SIM makes cellular structures visible that are too small to be resolved by conventional light microscopes. FLIM measures how long fluorescent molecules emit light, and this lifetime can change with the molecular environment, for example with changes in pH. [1]

Until now, this information could be combined with high-resolution microscopy only to a limited extent. The new FLIM-SIM technique brings together high spatial resolution, fast imaging rates and a large field of view. The researchers demonstrated these capabilities using a human bone cancer cell line. [1]

"By combining super-resolution with fluorescence lifetime measurements, we can not only see where certain molecules are located within a cell. We also gain information about the molecular environment in which they are located," said Dr. Henning Ortkraß, one of the study's authors. [1]

## Intended use in drug research

The method is being applied in CHEM-SCAN, which is investigating how chemotherapeutic agents used in cancer treatment can be adapted to act as effectively as possible on both tumours and the metastases that arise from them. To study efficacy, the project uses specialised fluorescent dyes that, together with FLIM measurements, provide information on the state of cancer cells. [1]

The authors say that the better researchers can observe what drugs trigger inside individual cells, the more precisely they can investigate effects and potential harmful effects. The release describes the demonstration on a cell line and does not report drug tests with the new method. [1]

Professor Thomas Huser, coordinator of CHEM-SCAN, said the results open a new dimension of contrast for super-resolution microscopy. In his words, fine cell structure can be examined at high speed while information on the molecular environment is obtained at the same time, which he called an important basis for future live-cell and drug research. [1]

## Sources

1. [EurekAlert](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1150573)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-d37cdd369505385ee30addff_bielefeld_and_vienna/