Focused ion beam (FIB)/scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in tissue structural research

Area of Science:

• Life Sciences
• Material Sciences
• Microscopy

Background:

• Focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are established tools in material science.
• Combined FIB/SEM systems have recently shown applicability in life science research.
• Biological tissue investigation requires advanced imaging and analytical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of FIB/SEM for investigating biological tissues.
• To analyze the digestive glands of the model organism Porcellio scaber using FIB/SEM.
• To compare FIB/SEM analysis with conventional SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Main Methods:

• Biological tissue samples were prepared for conventional SEM or TEM.
• Samples underwent FIB milling and imaging within the FIB/SEM system.
• Analysis included secondary electron imaging, back-scattered electron imaging, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis.

Main Results:

• FIB/SEM enabled simultaneous investigation of gross morphology, cell surface, and subsurface structures.
• EDX analysis provided basic compositional data from FIB-exposed regions.
• FIB/SEM analysis of TEM-prepared samples yielded comparable, though lower magnification, information to TEM.

Conclusions:

• FIB/SEM is a promising tool for comprehensive examination of epithelial tissues.
• The technique is suitable for analyzing tissues under normal, stressed, or pathological conditions.
• Combining imaging, micro-manipulation, and compositional analysis is valuable for epithelial tissue research.