Artificial intelligence can boost power, efficiency of even the best microscopes

With the help of artificial intelligence, even already powerful microscopes can see better, faster and process more data. In a new study, published Friday in the journal Nature Methods, researchers used new machine learning algorithms to combine a pair of novel microscopy techniques. The marriage dramatically accelerated image processing and yielded crisp, accurate results. To capture speedy biological processes in 3D, like the beating heart of a fish larva, researchers rely on a method called light-field microscopy. The technique involves the collection of massive amounts data, and as a result, image processing can take days.