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Cryo-electron Microscopy

Cryo-electron Microscopy

Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Electron Cryotomography of Bacterial Cells

Electron Cryotomography of Bacterial Cells

Published on: May 6, 2010

Electron cryotomography.

Elitza I Tocheva¹, Zhuo Li, Grant J Jensen

¹Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology

|June 3, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Electron cryotomography (ECT) provides high-resolution 3-D imaging of biological samples. This technique reveals the structures of cellular components in their native states, advancing bacterial cell biology.

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Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Electron Cryotomography of Bacterial Cells

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Published on: May 6, 2010

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging

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Area of Science:

Microscopy
Structural Biology
Bacterial Cell Biology

Background:

Electron cryotomography (ECT) is an advanced imaging technique.
It enables high-resolution, three-dimensional visualization of biological samples.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe the electron cryotomography technique.
To summarize its contributions to understanding bacterial cell biology.

Main Methods:

Imaging of thin samples (macromolecular complexes, bacterial cells) in a nearly native state.
Achieving "molecular" resolution (approximately 4 nm).

Main Results:

ECT provides insight into cytoskeletal filaments, cell wall elements, and motility machines.
It visualizes chemoreceptor arrays, internal compartments, and other ultrastructures.

Conclusions:

Electron cryotomography is a powerful tool for bacterial cell biology.
It offers unprecedented views of cellular ultrastructures.