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Atomic Force Microscopy

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Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Photoactivated Localization Microscopy with Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation BiFC-PALM

Photoactivated Localization Microscopy with Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation BiFC-PALM

Published on: December 22, 2015

Ballistic Microscopy (BaM).

A S Jijumon¹, Ray Chang^1,2, Manu Prakash^1,3,4,5

¹Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology

|November 24, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ballistic Microscopy (BaM) images live cells by bombarding them with nanoparticles, creating a physical snapshot of cellular contents. This novel technique enables spatial mapping and discovery of unknown biomolecules within cells.

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Area of Science:

Cell biology
Biophysics
Microscopy

Background:

Light and electron microscopy offer high resolution but struggle with de novo discovery and spatial mapping of unknown biomolecules.
Label-free methods like mass spectrometry lack live-cell and subcellular context.

Purpose of the Study:

Introduce Ballistic Microscopy (BaM) as a novel imaging technique.
Enable spatially resolved live sampling for molecular discovery across biological scales.

Main Methods:

Bombard living cells with high-velocity nanoparticles to capture cytoplasmic contents on a hydrogel substrate.
Utilize the SPLAT-MAP technique to preserve spatial information of captured biomolecules.
Employ a modular readout platform for post-capture analysis using TEM, Cryo-EM, mass spectrometry, and other methods.

Main Results:

Discovered the previously unknown composition of CLIP170 and Tau3R condensates in HEK cells.
Identified Keratin-18 as a structural element within these condensates.
Demonstrated BaM's capability for spatially resolved live sampling.

Conclusions:

Ballistic Microscopy (BaM) establishes a new paradigm of "physical imaging" for live cells.
BaM provides a modular platform for diverse post-capture analytical techniques.
This approach facilitates the discovery and spatial mapping of biomolecules across cells, tissues, and organisms.