Taiwanese develop new advanced 4D microscope

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/12/25/2003829071

By Yang Yuan-ting and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwanese researchers have developed the first-ever ultra-high-speed 4D microscope, revolutionizing the way we observe living neurons. Built by scientists from National Taiwan University and National Tsing Hua University, this breakthrough uses AI to boost image resolution by 10 times and is thousands of times faster than traditional microscopes. For the first time, researchers can monitor real-time neural activity, revealing how neurons work independently or in patterns, much like computer graphics processors.

This new tool has exciting potential applications in neurobiology, AI, and medicine, including studying conditions like epilepsy and dementia. It could also inspire energy-efficient designs for computing, as the human brain uses only 12 watts of electricity compared to the megawatts consumed by AI systems.