Assessing Antigen Presentation on the Surface of Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes by Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (PALM).

Super-resolution microscopy in the form of photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) offers the possibility of counting single molecules in a cell, a cellular compartment or a molecular complex. PALM can, therefore, underpin molecular and biochemical processes with a numeric and stoichiometric understanding of the interacting players. Here, we introduce the physical principles underlying PALM and provide a step-by-step protocol of how to apply PALM to questions related to the biology and pathophysiology of P. falciparum and other malaria parasites.