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

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...
Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Cryogenic electron tomography reveals herpesvirus capsid assembly intermediates inside the cell nucleus.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Visualizing dynamic tubulin folding in chaperonin TRiC from nonnative nucleus to final native state.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Cryogenic Electron Tomography Redefines Herpesvirus Capsid Assembly Intermediates Inside the Cell Nucleus.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Q-score as a reliability measure for protein, nucleic acid and small-molecule atomic coordinate models derived from 3DEM maps.

Acta crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology·2025
Same author

<math><mrow><mi>Q</mi> <mtext>-</mtext> <mi>score</mi></mrow></math> as a reliability measure for protein, nucleic acid, and small molecule atomic coordinate models derived from 3DEM density maps.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Cost-benefit analysis of cryogenic electron tomography subtomogram averaging of chaperonin MmCpn at near atomic resolution.

Structure (London, England : 1993)·2024
Same journal

Transcriptomic insights into epigenetic and immunomodulatory roles of nuclear histone genes in bladder cancer: A bioinformatics approach.

Advances in protein chemistry and structural biology·2026
Same journal

Investigating the immune-modulatory association of miRNAs in HPV-associated HNSCC individuals: A bioinformatics approach.

Advances in protein chemistry and structural biology·2026
Same journal

VISTA as a Double-Edged immune checkpoint molecule in cancer and autoimmunity.

Advances in protein chemistry and structural biology·2026
Same journal

Aptamers as immunomodulatory therapeutic alternatives targeting neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

Advances in protein chemistry and structural biology·2026
Same journal

Peptides and peptidomimetics as immunomodulator agents targeting neglected tropical diseases.

Advances in protein chemistry and structural biology·2026
Same journal

Transcriptomic profiling reveals immune pathway dysregulation and key interferon-responsive genes in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Advances in protein chemistry and structural biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging
08:55

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging

Published on: July 12, 2022

Single-particle electron cryotomography (cryoET).

Michael F Schmid1

  • 1Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.

Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology
|April 20, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electron cryotomography (cryoET) provides 3D cell reconstructions without fixation. This method enables averaging of 3D subvolumes (subtomograms) to enhance signal-to-noise ratios and resolution for macromolecular assemblies.

More Related Videos

Electron Cryotomography of Bacterial Cells
14:23

Electron Cryotomography of Bacterial Cells

Published on: May 6, 2010

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging
08:55

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging

Published on: July 12, 2022

Electron Cryotomography of Bacterial Cells
14:23

Electron Cryotomography of Bacterial Cells

Published on: May 6, 2010

Area of Science:

  • Structural biology
  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Electron cryotomography (cryoET) generates 3D reconstructions of cellular structures and macromolecular machines.
  • Contrast in cryoET is determined by mass density, eliminating the need for chemical fixation, staining, or embedding.
  • Unlike single-particle analysis, cryoET does not require homogeneous samples in random orientations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail methods for analyzing 3D subvolumes (subtomograms) from cryoET data.
  • To address challenges in tomographic analysis, including the missing wedge effect and low signal-to-noise ratios.
  • To explore the application of orienting templates within tomograms for molecular localization.

Main Methods:

  • Detection, classification, alignment, and averaging of 3D subtomograms from cryoET reconstructions.
  • Strategies for mitigating the missing wedge artifact and improving signal-to-noise ratios.
  • Utilizing 3D information to resolve conformational heterogeneity and particle orientation.

Main Results:

  • Averaging of multiple macromolecular assemblies from tomograms significantly improves resolution and signal-to-noise.
  • 3D subtomogram analysis offers a more robust approach to handling conformational variability compared to 2D methods.
  • Successful localization of molecules within cellular contexts using template fitting.

Conclusions:

  • Subtomogram averaging is a powerful technique for high-resolution structural analysis of cellular components using cryoET.
  • CryoET-based subtomogram analysis effectively addresses inherent data limitations like the missing wedge.
  • This approach enhances our understanding of molecular organization and function within intact cells.