To reveal the three-dimensional (3D) structure of thin samples, electron tomography (ET) is the method of choice. ET employs the transmission electron microscope to collect projections of an object that is tilted in multiple directions and uses these projections to reconstruct the object in its entirety.
Electron tomography became feasible with the advent of computer-controlled stages on the newer model TEMs, more reliable CCD cameras and the development of powerful analytical software for the creation and annotation of 3D tomograms. With resolutions of 50 Å and higher, 3D reconstructions obtained by ET provide precise information about the spatial organization of macromolecules in their cellular context.
References:
Electron Tomography Methods for Three-Dimensional Visualization of Structures in the Cell Editors: Frank, Joachim (Ed.) 2006. Springer
Electron Tomography
To reveal the three-dimensional (3D) structure of thin samples, electron tomography (ET) is the method of choice. ET employs the transmission electron microscope to collect projections of an object that is tilted in multiple directions and uses these projections to reconstruct the object in its entirety.
Electron tomography became feasible with the advent of computer-controlled stages on the newer model TEMs, more reliable CCD cameras and the development of powerful analytical software for the creation and annotation of 3D tomograms. With resolutions of 50 Å and higher, 3D reconstructions obtained by ET provide precise information about the spatial organization of macromolecules in their cellular context.
References:
Electron Tomography
Methods for Three-Dimensional Visualization of Structures in the Cell
Editors: Frank, Joachim (Ed.) 2006. Springer
Fernandez de Castro et al., J. Cell Sci. 2017.