Traditional optical microscopy uses a variety of techniques to image biological structures and activities. However, the spatial resolution that can be achieved with traditional light-based microscopy is limited to approximately half of the wavelength of light that is used to interrogate the sample. This limitation on spatial resolution is referred to as the diffraction limit. Innovations in super-resolution microscopy enhance the resolution of the imaging system beyond this barrier. The three main types of super resolution microscopy are stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, structured illumination microscopy (SIM), and stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM).