Photoacoustic imaging--also called optoacoustic imaging--is a new hybrid modality of high tissue contrast which is based on the varying optical properties of tissue. The acoustic signal generated by pulsed laser absorption reports tissue-specific information with high spatial resolution. To increase the intrinsic contrast in tissue, absorbing particles are of great interest for optical imaging because of their considerable capacity to absorb and scatter light at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. The aim of the work presented here is to establish a scalable photoacoustic technology for volume imaging of biological samples down to diffraction limited microscopy. For this purpose a versatile photoacoustic microscopy platform has been developed with unmatched spatial resolution consisting of a microchip laser and a measurement cell with different transducers attached allowing generation and detection of laser-induced ultrasound signals in a frequency range up to 400 MHz. The performance of a versatile photoacoustic microscopy platform was evaluated via 2D optoacoustic images of light absorbing microparticles (5 microm Fe(3)0(4) and 1 micromblack toner particles) embedded in a polystyrene matrix. High frequency signals in the frequency range of 400 MHz generated by a single 1 microm particle could be recorded with a high signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 34 dB.