Life cell imaging is a tool for cell biology that has provided invaluable 
insights into many dynamic processes such as cell division, morphogenesis, or 
endo- and exocytosis. While observing cells by time-lapse imaging is a standard 
procedure in many systems, this technique was until recently not available for 
blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most severe 
form of human malaria. Here, we provide a detailed description of the procedure 
for time-lapse-based four-dimensional microscopy in blood stages of this 
important pathogen. With the widespread use of P. falciparum transfection to 
fluorescently tag proteins of interest, this technique provides a new tool to 
study the biology of malaria blood stages that is hoped to lead to a better 
appreciation of the dynamic processes in this life cycle phase.