High-speed image reconstruction for optically sectioned, super-resolution structured illumination microscopy

Super-resolution structured illumination microscopy (SR-SIM) is an outstanding method for visualizing the subcellular dynamics in living cells. To date, by using elaborately designed systems and algorithms, SR-SIM can achieve rapid, optically sectioned, SR observation with hundreds to thousands of time points. However, real-time observation is still out of reach for most SIM setups as conventional algorithms for image reconstruction involve a heavy computing burden. To address this limitation, an accelerated reconstruction algorithm was developed by implementing a simplified workflow for SR-SIM, termed joint space and frequency reconstruction. This algorithm results in an 80-fold improvement in reconstruction speed relative to the widely used Wiener-SIM. Critically, the increased processing speed does not come at the expense of spatial resolution or sectioning capability, as demonstrated by live imaging of microtubule dynamics and mitochondrial tubulation.