Visualizing nanoscale biological processes

The novel cryo-to-liquid phase CLEM workflow, which we developed to visualize biological processes in graphene liquid cells, has recently been published in Advanced Functional Materials. The workflow combines light microscopy and cryoTEM to enable the observation of biological processes in nanometer resolution. By vitrifying the sample immediately after the encapsulation in graphene, the process of interest is put in cryo-arrest. This gives time find the region of interest. After finding this region, the sample is thawed inside the microscope and the process can be observed inside the TEM in a liquid environment.

This workflow allowed us to visualize, for the first time, the formation of calciprotein particles, which have been suggested to contribute to (cardio)vascular calcification. See the video and publication for more details!

Rutten, Luco, et al. ''A Cryo-to-Liquid Phase Correlative Light Electron Microscopy Workflow for the Visualization of Biological Processes in Graphene Liquid Cells.'' Adv. Funct. Mater. (2024), 2416938. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202416938