Embedding cell monolayers to investigate nanoparticle-plasmalemma interactions at transmission electron microscopy
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Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles
Published on: October 16, 2017
Manuela Costanzo1, Manuela Malatesta
1University of Verona, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Anatomy and Histology. manuela.costanzo@univr.it.
Abstract:
Transmission electron microscopy is the technique of choice to visualize the spatial relationships between nanoconstructs and cells and especially to monitor the uptake process of nanomaterials. It is therefore crucial that the cell surface be preserved in its integrity, to obtain reliable ultrastructural evidence: the plasmalemma represents the biological barrier the nanomaterials have to cross, and the mode of membrane-nanoconstruct interaction is responsible for the intracellular fate of the nanomaterials. In this paper, we describe a simple and inexpensive method to process cell monolayers for ultrastructural morphology and immunocytochemistry, ensuring consistent preservation of the cell surface and of the occurring interactions with nanoparticles of different chemical composition.
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