Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400 keV in...
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...
Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy01:37

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been developed.
Cryo-electron Microscopy01:28

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A comprehensive study of plasmonic mode hybridization in gold nanoparticle-over-mirror (NPoM) arrays.

Nanophotonics (Berlin, Germany)·2025
Same author

Experimental Online Quantum Dots Charge Autotuning Using Neural Networks.

Nano letters·2025
Same author

Abrasive-free chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of gold for thin film nano-patterning.

Nanoscale·2024
Same author

CMOS-compatible Hf<sub>0.5</sub>Zr<sub>0.5</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-based ferroelectric memory crosspoints fabricated with damascene process.

Nanotechnology·2024
Same author

CMOS Compatible Hydrogen Sensor Using Platinum Gate and ALD-Aluminum Oxide.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2024
Same author

Quality control in the Netherlands; todays practices and starting points for guidance and future research.

Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine·2024
Same journal

Efficient methods for wave propagation in electron microscopy.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Unsupervised deep image prior for sparse-view and limited-angle electron tomography.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Determination of the structure of the tertiary phase in the alloy Al<sub>10</sub>Mo<sub>10</sub>Nb<sub>10</sub>Ta<sub>10</sub>Ti<sub>30</sub>Zr<sub>30</sub> using convergent beam electron diffraction.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Predictive drift compensation of multi-frame STEM via live scan modification.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Deep PACBED: Multitask analysis of PACBED images using deep neural networks.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Guided progressive reconstructive imaging: A new quantization-based framework for low-dose, high-throughput and real-time analytical ptychography.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Studying Dynamic Processes of Nano-sized Objects in Liquid using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
10:29

Studying Dynamic Processes of Nano-sized Objects in Liquid using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: February 5, 2017

Nanometer-resolution electron microscopy through micrometers-thick water layers.

Niels de Jonge1, Nicolas Poirier-Demers, Hendrix Demers

  • 1Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Nashville, TN 37232-0615, USA. niels.de.jonge@vanderbilt.edu

Ultramicroscopy
|June 15, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) can image gold nanoparticles in liquid. Even with micrometers of liquid, 1.4 nm nanoparticles are visible, though probe broadening limits deep imaging.

More Related Videos

Multimodal Hierarchical Imaging of Serial Sections for Finding Specific Cellular Targets within Large Volumes
11:19

Multimodal Hierarchical Imaging of Serial Sections for Finding Specific Cellular Targets within Large Volumes

Published on: March 20, 2018

Revealing Dynamic Processes of Materials in Liquids Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy
07:37

Revealing Dynamic Processes of Materials in Liquids Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: December 20, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Studying Dynamic Processes of Nano-sized Objects in Liquid using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
10:29

Studying Dynamic Processes of Nano-sized Objects in Liquid using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: February 5, 2017

Multimodal Hierarchical Imaging of Serial Sections for Finding Specific Cellular Targets within Large Volumes
11:19

Multimodal Hierarchical Imaging of Serial Sections for Finding Specific Cellular Targets within Large Volumes

Published on: March 20, 2018

Revealing Dynamic Processes of Materials in Liquids Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy
07:37

Revealing Dynamic Processes of Materials in Liquids Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: December 20, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • Imaging nanoparticles in liquid environments presents challenges due to electron scattering.
  • Understanding nanoscale material behavior at liquid interfaces is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the capability of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) for imaging gold nanoparticles within liquid layers.
  • To determine the limits of resolution and probe broadening in liquid for STEM imaging.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to image gold nanoparticles (1.4 nm diameter) in saline water layers up to several micrometers thick.
  • Compared experimental data with analytical models and Monte Carlo simulations for resolution and probe broadening.

Main Results:

  • Gold nanoparticles were successfully imaged through liquid layers up to 3.3 micrometers thick.
  • Electron probe broadening due to liquid scattering limited imaging deeper than several micrometers.
  • Experimental findings aligned with analytical models and simulations.

Conclusions:

  • STEM is a viable technique for imaging nanoparticles in liquid environments, with limitations defined by liquid thickness and electron scattering.
  • The study provides a foundation for applying in-situ liquid STEM in fields like cell biology and materials science.