Adaptive optics: from astronomy to bioimaging

Adaptive optics (AO) was first proposed for classified military programs and astronomy, accompanied with technological advancements such as wavefront sensors (WFS) and deformable mirrors (DM). During the past 30 years, AO systems have been increasingly integrated into microscopy setups, enabling deeper imaging into live cells and leading to higher resolution and brightness. In this paper, we demonstrate two projects from the 1990s which initiated the application of AO in bioimaging, how these projects and ideas have evolved and future prospects.