Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025
08:26
Cell Culture on Silicon Nitride Membranes and Cryopreparation for Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence Nano-analysis
Published on: December 10, 2019
9.2K
Soft X-ray Microscopy in Cell Biology: Current Status, Contributions and Prospects
S A Golyshev1, E P Kazakov1, I I Kireev1
1Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992 Russian Federation.
Acta Naturae
|January 18, 2024
Summary
Soft X-ray microscopy offers a new way to see inside cells without damaging them. This advanced imaging technique bridges the gap between light and electron microscopy for better biological research.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Microscopy Techniques
- Biophysics
Background:
- Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy visualizes single molecules.
- Electron microscopy studies protein complexes at near-atomic resolution.
- Both methods have limitations: labeling and sample volume.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state of soft X-ray microscopy.
- To assess its impact on understanding subcellular organization.
- To explore the future integration of X-ray microscopy in cell biology.
Main Methods:
- Soft X-ray microscopy enables observation of the entire cell interior.
- It requires no chemical fixation or labeling.
- Achieves an isotropic resolution of 40-70 nm.
Main Results:
- Soft X-ray microscopy bridges the resolution gap between light and electron microscopy.
- It offers compatibility with existing microscopy methods.
- Provides insights into subcellular organization without sample alteration.
Conclusions:
- Soft X-ray microscopy is a promising technique for cell biology.
- It overcomes limitations of fluorescence and electron microscopy.
- Seamless integration into the cell biology toolkit is anticipated.
Related Concept Videos
01:37Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy
7.0K
Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been...
7.0K
01:10X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
3.8K
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal...
3.8K
01:22Overview of Microscopy Techniques
10.4K
The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
10.4K
01:28Cryo-electron Microscopy
3.3K
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...
3.3K
01:25Overview of Electron Microscopy
9.1K
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.
9.1K
01:16Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy
13.3K
Confocal microscopy is an advanced microscopic technique. The prime advantage of the confocal microscope over other microscopy techniques is its ability to block the out-of-focus light from the illuminated samples using pinholes. It is widely used with fluorescence optics to obtain high-resolution, sharp contrast images. Unlike optical microscopes, confocal microscopes use a focused beam of light laser to scan the entire sample surface at different z-planes. These microscopes are, therefore,...
13.3K