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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

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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.
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Cryo-electron Microscopy01:28

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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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Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

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Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
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Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

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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...
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Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

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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.
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Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

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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...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 21, 2025

Light-Induced In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy for Observation of the Liquid-Soft Matter Interaction
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Light-Induced In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy for Observation of the Liquid-Soft Matter Interaction

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Liquid-Phase Electron Microscopy for Soft Matter Science and Biology.

Hanglong Wu1, Heiner Friedrich1,2, Joseph P Patterson3

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|May 19, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Liquid-phase electron microscopy (LP-EM) now allows soft matter analysis under optimal conditions. This advanced microscopy overcomes radiation damage, offering nanometer resolution for materials science and biology.

Keywords:
beam-sample interactionsdynamic processesin situ electron microscopysynthetic materials

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Biology
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • Soft matter analysis requires optimized experimental conditions.
  • Electron beam radiation can alter sample structures and biochemical processes.
  • Liquid-phase electron microscopy (LP-EM) presents a solution to these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review experimental designs and applications of LP-EM for soft matter.
  • To highlight LP-EM's capabilities in materials science and biological research.
  • To provide a perspective on future directions in LP-EM.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing innovations in liquid-phase electron microscopy (LP-EM).
  • Addressing the challenge of electron beam radiation effects on soft matter samples.
  • Achieving nanometer spatial and sub-second temporal resolution.

Main Results:

  • LP-EM enables experiments under optimized conditions for soft matter examination.
  • Experimental difficulties related to radiation damage have been partially overcome.
  • LP-EM has emerged as a powerful microscopy technique for soft matter.

Conclusions:

  • LP-EM is a valuable tool for analyzing soft matter in materials science and biology.
  • Further development promises enhanced capabilities for studying dynamic processes.
  • The technique offers new avenues for scientific discovery in diverse fields.