What Does TIRF Stand For?

TIRF stands for Total Internal Reflectance Fluorescence

Total Internal Reflectance Fluorescence (TIRF) is a microscopy technique that exploits the principles of total internal reflection to enhance the fluorescence signals from molecules closely associated with the interface of two media, typically a substrate and an aqueous solution. By illuminating the sample at angles exceeding the critical angle, TIRF generates a thin evanescent field that selectively excites fluorophores within a limited volume near the surface, allowing for high-resolution imaging of dynamic processes at the cellular or molecular level with minimal background noise. This technique is widely used in biophysics, cell biology, and materials science for applications such as studying membrane interactions, protein dynamics, and molecular binding events.