Perspectives on electron cryo-tomography of vitreous cryo-sections

A major objective of modern structural biology is to appreciate the cellular organization by elucidating the spatial arrangement of macromolecular complexes within a cell. Cryogenic sample preparation, combined with cryo-ultramicrotomy, enables large cells and pieces of biological tissues to be thinned for electron cryo-tomography, which provides a three-dimensional view of the biological sample. There are, however, limitations associated with the technique that must be realized, addressed and overcome for the procedure to become mainstream. Here, we provide perspectives on the continued advancements in cryogenic sample preparation for vitreous cryo-sectioning, image collection and post-image processing that have expanded the attainable information limit within the three-dimensional reconstructions of cells and pieces of biological tissues.