An integrated confocal and magnetic resonance microscope for cellular research

Complementary data acquired with different microscopy techniques provide a basis for establishing a more comprehensive understanding of health and dis ease at a cellular level, particularly when data acquired with different me thodologies can be correlated in both time and space. In this Communication , a brief description of a novel instrument capable of simultaneously perfo rming confocal optical and magnetic resonance microscopy is presented, and the first combined images of live Xenopus laevis oocytes are shown. Also, t he potential benefits of combined microscopy are discussed, and it is shown that the a priori knowledge of the high-resolution optical images can be u sed to enhance the boundary resolution and contrast of the MR images. (C) 2 000 Academic Press.