Direct single-molecule detection and super-resolution imaging with a low-cost portable smartphone-based microscope.

ABSTRACT: Detecting single molecules, which represents the ultimate level of sensitivity, is typically achieved with research-grade equipment. Here we present a low-cost, portable smartphone-based fluorescence microscope capable of detecting single-molecule fluorescence directly, i.e., without the need for any signal amplification. The setup leverages the image sensors and data handling capacity of mass-produced smartphones, it is adaptable to different smartphones and capable of detecting single molecules across the visible spectral range. We showcase this capability through single-molecule measurements on DNA origami models and super-resolution microscopy of cells by single-molecule localization microscopy. Last, we illustrate its potential as a point-of-care (POC) device by implementing a single-

SUBMITTER: Loretan M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12508040 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature