Cells achieve highly intricate internal organization via membrane-bound and membraneless organelles. Research over the past decade has implicated liquid–liquid phase separation, a phenomenon by which charged and often disordered biological macromolecules assemble into reversible liquid-like condensates, as the mechanism of formation of membraneless organelles in cells. During the same period, optical microscopy saw exciting advancements, including the super-resolution revolution, that were quickly adopted by researchers in the biological community. Today, there exists a vast library of techniques capable of providing unprecedented information regarding the formation, function, and dynamics of biomolecular condensates. In this review, we discuss a select number of modern optical microscopy methods that are particularly suited for studying biomolecular condensates both in vitro and in cells, as well as the associated technical challenges.

细胞通过膜结合和无膜细胞器实现高度复杂的内部组织。过去十年的研究涉及液-液相分离，这种现象将带电且通常是无序的生物大分子组装成可逆的液体状冷凝物，作为细胞中无膜细胞器形成的机制。在同一时期，光学显微镜看到了令人振奋的进步，包括超分辨率革命，这一进展很快被生物界的研究人员所接受。如今，存在着一个庞大的技术库，能够提供有关生物分子缩合物的形成，功能和动力学的前所未有的信息。在这篇评论中，体外和细胞中，以及相关的技术挑战。