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Updated: May 19, 2026

Low-Cost Cryo-Light Microscopy Stage Fabrication for Correlated Light/Electron Microscopy
Published on: June 5, 2011
Correlated light microscopy and electron microscopy.
Klaas A Sjollema1, Ulrike Schnell, Jeroen Kuipers
1Department of Cell Biology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, Bldg 3215, room 749, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) integrates fluorescence and electron microscopy for cell biology. This review highlights CLEM advancements, promising routine use for understanding biomolecular interactions.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Microscopy
- Biophysics
Background:
- Understanding biomolecular interactions is key to cell biology.
- Fluorescence light microscopy (FLM) images biomolecules in living cells.
- Electron microscopy (EM) provides ultrastructural context, but not dynamic events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review progress in correlative (or correlated) light and electron microscopy (CLEM).
- To focus on matching areas between different microscopic modalities.
- To introduce a new method for virtual overlay and automated large-scale imaging in CLEM.
Main Methods:
- Correlative (or correlated) light and electron microscopy (CLEM) combines LM and EM.
- Virtual overlay and automated large-scale imaging techniques are introduced.
- Focus on aligning images from different microscopy techniques.
Main Results:
- CLEM allows studying rare or dynamic events by combining LM and EM.
- Advancements in matching areas between LM and EM are presented.
- A new method enables seamless switching between microscopes via virtual overlay.
Conclusions:
- CLEM is a powerful technique for cell biology research.
- Ongoing developments are set to standardize and revolutionize CLEM.
- CLEM is poised to become a routine technique in cell biology.
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