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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Preparation and Cryo-FIB micromachining of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Cryo-Electron Tomography

Preparation and Cryo-FIB micromachining of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Cryo-Electron Tomography

Published on: November 20, 2021

How good can cryo-EM become?

Robert M Glaeser¹

¹Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.

|December 31, 2015

Summary

Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful tool for determining biological macromolecule structures. Future developments promise even greater advancements in this rapidly evolving technology.

Area of Science:

Structural Biology
Biophysics
Biochemistry

Background:

Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has rapidly advanced as a key technique.
It enables the determination of high-resolution structures of biological macromolecules.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the future potential and developmental trajectory of cryo-EM technology.
To discuss anticipated advancements beyond its current capabilities.

Main Methods:

Review of current cryo-EM methodologies and instrumentation.
Analysis of emerging trends and potential innovations in electron microscopy and image processing.

Main Results:

Cryo-EM is a mature technology for high-resolution structure determination.

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Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging

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Do's and Don'ts of Cryo-electron Microscopy: A Primer on Sample Preparation and High Quality Data Collection for Macromolecular 3D Reconstruction

Do's and Don'ts of Cryo-electron Microscopy: A Primer on Sample Preparation and High Quality Data Collection for Macromolecular 3D Reconstruction

Published on: January 9, 2015

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Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

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Published on: November 20, 2021

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Do's and Don'ts of Cryo-electron Microscopy: A Primer on Sample Preparation and High Quality Data Collection for Macromolecular 3D Reconstruction

Do's and Don'ts of Cryo-electron Microscopy: A Primer on Sample Preparation and High Quality Data Collection for Macromolecular 3D Reconstruction

Published on: January 9, 2015

Significant future developments are anticipated, enhancing its capabilities further.

Conclusions:

While cryo-EM has matured, its potential for improvement remains substantial.
Continued innovation will likely expand the scope and resolution achievable with cryo-EM.