Stefan Hell's microscope

Stefan Hell's microscope, known as Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy, is an advanced imaging technique that breaks the traditional limits of how small objects we can see are. It uses two laser beams: one to excite fluorescent molecules and another to specifically switch off (deactivate) those molecules in the outer regions, leaving only a tiny central area to emit light. By refining this process, STED can image structures at a nanometer scale, much finer than standard microscopes, allowing scientists to observe cellular details with extraordinary clarity and precision.