X-ray Nanotomography Microscope Reveals Cell’s Smallest Details

Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin in Germany have developed a new X-ray nanotomography microscope that can visualize the smallest components of cells in 3D. As opposed to other microscopy techniques, chemically fixing, staining or cutting cells is not needed. Living cells are fast-frozen so that they can be studied in their natural environment. A high-resolution 3-D image of the entire cell is obtained in one step, unlike electron microscopy, in which a 3-D image is assembled by scanning many thin sections. Resolutions up to 30nm can be achieved. Some of the structures the researchers were able to visualize were the double membrane of the cell nucleus, nuclear pores in the nuclear envelope, membrane channels in the nucleus, numerous invaginations of the inner mitochondrial membrane and inclusions in cell organelles such as lysosomes. Results have been published in the journal Nature Methods.
Press release: New microscope reveals ultrastructure of cells…
Study abstract: Three-dimensional cellular ultrastructure resolved by X-ray microscopy…