Correlative cryo-light microscopy and cryo-electron tomography: from cellular territories to molecular landscapes

In cell biology, visual techniques such as light and electron microscopy provide the most intuitive means by which to study structure and function; however, no single microscopy technique is capable of providing all of the desired information. As a consequence, many separate techniques have evolved, each with unique capabilities. The most informative approaches are global in the sense that they take advantage of multiple imaging modalities spanning a range of spatial scales and frequencies, preferably encompassing preservation of the hydrated nature of the cell. Correlative microscopy utilizes complementary visual techniques that allow the experimenter to capture significant proportions of a population of cells, to identify features of interest, and to then capture high-resolution snapshots that represent bona fide cellular events.