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

4.4K
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...
4.4K
Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

15.5K
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.
15.5K
Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

Scanning Electron Microscopy

5.6K
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface features of a sample by using an electron beam that scans the sample surface in a two-dimensional manner. Typically, areas between ~1 centimeter to 5 micrometers in width can be imaged. SEM can be used to image bacteria, viruses, tissues as well as larger samples like insects. Conventional SEM gives a magnification ranging from 20X to 30,000X and spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nanometers.
Fundamental Principles
Accelerated...
5.6K
Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

7.3K
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...
7.3K
Immunogold Electron Microscopy01:20

Immunogold Electron Microscopy

5.6K
Immunoelectron microscopy utilizes immunogold labeling of endogenous proteins with specific antibodies to detect and localize these proteins in cells and tissues. The procedure provides insights into the distribution and quantification of protein under different stimulation conditions offering clues about their functions. Conjugating highly electron-dense gold particles with primary or secondary antibodies allow antigen detection on and within cells, with high resolution and specificity.
5.6K
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

7.3K
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...
7.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Protocol: Effectiveness of Online Distance Education on Learning Outcomes Among K-12 Students: A Systematic Review.

Campbell systematic reviews·2026
Same author

Protocol: Long Distance Walking and Psychosocial Health and Wellbeing: A Scoping Review.

Campbell systematic reviews·2026
Same author

Structural studies of nedicistrovirus IRES-driven, initiation factor-independent translation shed light on key steps of eukaryotic translation elongation.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

Lipid bilayers determine allostery but not intrinsic affinity of cAMP to pacemaker channels.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Enhancing Policy Impact Through Knowledge Translation: The Role of Innovative Evidence Products.

Campbell systematic reviews·2026
Same author

The Extent of the Use of GRADE in Campbell Systematic Reviews: A Systematic Survey.

Campbell systematic reviews·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Fast Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Cryo-Electron Microscopy
10:05

Fast Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Published on: November 6, 2021

4.7K

Time-Resolved Cryo-electron Microscopy Using a Microfluidic Chip.

Sandip Kaledhonkar1, Ziao Fu2, Howard White3

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, 10032, NY, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|April 2, 2018
PubMed
Summary

This study presents a new time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) protocol to capture rapid molecular changes. The method enables the study of short-lived intermediate states in biological processes on the millisecond timescale.

Keywords:
Microfluidic chipShort-lived intermediates heterogeneitySingle-particle cryo-EMSprayingTime-resolved

More Related Videos

Cryo-Electron Microscopic Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Studies using a Novel Robotic System, Spotiton
08:59

Cryo-Electron Microscopic Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Studies using a Novel Robotic System, Spotiton

Published on: February 25, 2021

4.3K
Micropatterning Transmission Electron Microscopy Grids to Direct Cell Positioning within Whole-Cell Cryo-Electron Tomography Workflows
09:53

Micropatterning Transmission Electron Microscopy Grids to Direct Cell Positioning within Whole-Cell Cryo-Electron Tomography Workflows

Published on: September 13, 2021

7.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Fast Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Cryo-Electron Microscopy
10:05

Fast Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Published on: November 6, 2021

4.7K
Cryo-Electron Microscopic Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Studies using a Novel Robotic System, Spotiton
08:59

Cryo-Electron Microscopic Grid Preparation for Time-Resolved Studies using a Novel Robotic System, Spotiton

Published on: February 25, 2021

4.3K
Micropatterning Transmission Electron Microscopy Grids to Direct Cell Positioning within Whole-Cell Cryo-Electron Tomography Workflows
09:53

Micropatterning Transmission Electron Microscopy Grids to Direct Cell Positioning within Whole-Cell Cryo-Electron Tomography Workflows

Published on: September 13, 2021

7.7K

Area of Science:

  • Structural Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful technique for molecular structure determination.
  • Standard cryo-EM methods have limitations in capturing fast biological processes due to mixing and freezing times.
  • Many crucial biological events occur on millisecond timescales, remaining inaccessible to current cryo-EM techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and detail a protocol for time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
  • To enable the capture of transient molecular states occurring on the millisecond timescale.
  • To overcome the temporal limitations of conventional cryo-EM for kinetic studies.

Main Methods:

  • A detailed protocol for time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is described.
  • The protocol focuses on capturing molecular structures at millisecond time points after initiating a reaction.
  • This involves specialized mixing and rapid freezing techniques compatible with cryo-EM grid preparation.

Main Results:

  • The developed protocol allows for the capture of short-lived intermediate states in molecular processes.
  • This advancement extends the temporal resolution of cryo-EM to the millisecond range.
  • The method facilitates the study of dynamic molecular mechanisms previously unobservable.

Conclusions:

  • Time-resolved cryo-EM offers a viable approach to study fast biological dynamics.
  • The presented protocol provides a detailed method for researchers to investigate transient molecular conformations.
  • This technique significantly expands the scope of cryo-EM in understanding biological mechanisms at high temporal resolution.