Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction to Optics and Photophysics (Rainer Heintzmann) -- Principles of Light Microscopy (Ulrich Kubitscheck) -- Fluorescence Microscopy (Jurek W. Dobrucki) -- Fluorescence Labeling (G. Ulrich Nienhaus, Karin Nienhaus) -- Confocal Microscopy (Nikolaus Naredi-Rainer, Jens Prescher, Achim Hartschuh, Don C. Lamb) -- Fluorescence Photobleaching and Photoactivation Techniques (Reiner Peters) -- Forster Resonance Energy Transfer and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (Fred S. Wouters) -- Single molecule microscopy in the live sciences (Markus Axmann, Josef Madl, Gerhard J. Schutz) -- Super-Resolution Microscopy Interference and Pattern Techniques (Gerrit Best, Roman Amberger, Christoph Cremer) -- STED Microscopy (Trevis J. Gould, Patrina A. Pellet, Joerg Bewersdorf) -- Appendix: Practical guide to optical alignment (Rainer Heintzmann).

This is the first title on the topic designed specifically to allow students and researchers with no background in physics to understand novel light microscopy techniques. Each chapter is written by a renowned expert with many contributions by pioneers in the field, but the editors have ensured that all commonly used methods are covered and that each chapter is comprehensible for non-experts and conforms to the same easily legible standard and style. A companion website with additional examples and video material makes this a valuable teaching resource.--