Microscopy technique reveals hidden nanostructures in cells and tissues: Separating densely packed molecules before imaging allows them to become visible for the first time.

Researchers developed a way to 'de-crowd' molecules in a cell by expanding a tissue sample, labeling the molecules, then imaging them. The method, known as expansion revealing, builds on a technique known as expansion microscopy and should allow scientists to visualize molecules and cellular structures that have never been seen before.