Investigating parasites in three dimensions: trends in volume microscopy

Area of Science:

• Parasitology
• Structural Biology
• Microscopy

Background:

• Understanding parasite, host, and vector morphology and interactions is crucial for developing new drugs and vaccines.
• Three-dimensional (3D) structural data is ideal for this understanding.
• Recent advancements in 3D volume microscopy techniques enable data collection across a wide range of scales.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present and discuss microscopy tools for collecting 3D structural data in parasitology.
• To focus on electron microscopy-based techniques, highlighting their strengths and limitations.
• To guide parasitologists in selecting appropriate techniques for their research questions.

Main Methods:

• Review of available 3D volume microscopy tools.
• Specific focus on electron microscopy techniques (e.g., cryo-electron tomography, serial block-face scanning electron microscopy).
• Discussion of data collection capabilities across different scales (cm to Å).

Main Results:

• Electron microscopy-based techniques are powerful for obtaining high-resolution 3D structural data of parasites, hosts, and vectors.
• Each technique has specific strengths and limitations regarding resolution, sample size, and preparation.
• Volume microscopy is increasingly important for advancing parasitology research.

Conclusions:

• 3D volume microscopy, particularly electron microscopy, is essential for detailed structural analysis in parasitology.
• Choosing the right technique depends on the specific research question and scale of interest.
• These advanced imaging methods are critical for identifying new drug and vaccine targets.