Characterization of new fluorescent labels for ultra-high resolution microscopy.

Photo-induced switching of dyes into dark, long-lived states, such as a triplet state, has recently gained increasing interest, as a means to achieve ultra-high optical resolution. Additionally, these long lived states are often highly environment-sensitive and their photodynamics can thus offer additional independent fluorescence-based information. However, although providing a useful mechanism for photo-induced switching, the triplet state often appears as a precursor state for photobleaching, which potentially can limit its usefulness.