In the past decade, there has been an explosion of new imaging technologies in biology that include super-resolution microscopy, structured illumination and adaptive optics. In parallel with the revolution in optical microscopy, similar dramatic advances are occurring in electron microscopy, particularly cryo-EM. Our work on the development and application of photo-stable, near infrared rare earth nanoparticle probes, and in combining electron microscopy and cathodo-luminescence imaging of multiple proteins will be discussed. Using adaptive optics methods, our work of the imaging of nanoparticle probes into several millimeters of tissue in live organisms will be presented. Finally, progress on our synthesis of luminescent nano-diamond synthesis for biological applications will be given.