Optical Photon Reassignment Microscopy (OPRA)

To enhance the resolution of a confocal laser scanning microscope the additional information of a pinhole plane image taken at every excitation scan position can be used [C. J. R. Sheppard, Super-resolution in confocal imaging, Optik 80, 5354 (1988)]. This photon reassignment principle is based on the fact that the most probable position of an emitter is at half way between the nominal focus of the excitation laser and the position corresponding to the (off centre) detection position. Therefore, by reassigning the detected photons to this place, an image with enhanced detection efficiency and resolution is obtained. Here we present optical photon reassignment microscopy (OPRA) which realises this concept in an all-optical way obviating the need for image-processing. With the help of an additional intermediate optical beam expansion between descanning and a further rescanning of the detected light, an image with the advantages of photon reassignment can be acquired. Due to its simplicity and flexibility this method has the potential to enhance the performance of nearly every laser scanning microscope and is therefore expected to play an important role in future systems.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Motion artefact detection in structured illumination microscopy for live cell imaging

The reconstruction process of structured illumination microscopy (SIM) creates substantial artefacts if the specimen has moved during the acquisition. This reduces the applicability of SIM for live cell imaging, because these artefacts cannot always be recognized as such in the final image. A movement is not necessarily visible in the raw data, due to the varying excitation patterns and the photon noise. We present a method to detect motion by extracting and comparing two independent 3D wide-field images out of the standard SIM raw data without needing additional images. Their difference reveals moving objects overlaid with noise, which are distinguished by a probability theory-based analysis. Our algorithm tags motion-artefacts in the final high-resolution image for the first time, preventing the end-user from misinterpreting the data. We show and explain different types of artefacts and demonstrate our algorithm on a living cell

Beschluss und Wissenschaftliche Begründung der Ständigen Impfkommission (STIKO) für die Aktualisierung der Influenza-Impfempfehlung für Personen im Alter von ≥ 60 Jahren

Die STIKO empfiehlt allen Personen im Alter von ≥60 Jahren im Herbst eine jährliche Impfung gegen die saisonale Influenza mit einem inaktivierten, quadrivalenten Influenza-Hochdosis-Impfstoff mit aktueller von der WHO empfohlener Antigenkombination. Solange Hochdosis-Impfstoffe für die Altersgruppe 60-64 Jahre nicht zugelassen sind, werden für die Influenza-Impfung von Personen in diesem Alter weiterhin inaktivierte, quadrivalente Influenza-Impfstoffe (unabhängig vom Impfstofftyp) empfohlen. Eine Empfehlung für die Anwendung eines Influenza-Hochdosis-Impfstoffs ist in gleichem Maße bei der Impfempfehlung für Reisende zu berücksichtigen. Die Veröffentlichung dieser Empfehlung zu diesem Zeitpunkt, ohne Berücksichtigung der aktuellen Verfügbarkeit von Influenza-Hochdosis-Impfstoffen, soll gewährleisten, dass der entsprechende Impfstoffbedarf bei der Planung, Produktion und Beschaffung von Influenza-Impfstoffen ab der Saison 2021/2022 berücksichtigt werden kann

Detailed Analysis of a Contiguous 22-Mb Region of the Maize Genome

Most of our understanding of plant genome structure and evolution has come from the careful annotation of small (e.g., 100 kb) sequenced genomic regions or from automated annotation of complete genome sequences. Here, we sequenced and carefully annotated a contiguous 22 Mb region of maize chromosome 4 using an improved pseudomolecule for annotation. The sequence segment was comprehensively ordered, oriented, and confirmed using the maize optical map. Nearly 84% of the sequence is composed of transposable elements (TEs) that are mostly nested within each other, of which most families are low-copy. We identified 544 gene models using multiple levels of evidence, as well as five miRNA genes. Gene fragments, many captured by TEs, are prevalent within this region. Elimination of gene redundancy from a tetraploid maize ancestor that originated a few million years ago is responsible in this region for most disruptions of synteny with sorghum and rice. Consistent with other sub-genomic analyses in maize, small RNA mapping showed that many small RNAs match TEs and that most TEs match small RNAs. These results, performed on ∼1% of the maize genome, demonstrate the feasibility of refining the B73 RefGen_v1 genome assembly by incorporating optical map, high-resolution genetic map, and comparative genomic data sets. Such improvements, along with those of gene and repeat annotation, will serve to promote future functional genomic and phylogenomic research in maize and other grasses

Was macht ein Physiker in der Industrie?: Vortrag im Rahmen des MINT-Festivals Jena

Vortrag für Schülerinnen und Schüler der Sekundarstufe II sowie die interessierte Öffentlichkeit Ein junger Physiker stellt sich und seine Tätigkeit bei ZEISS vor