BioEM Facility, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Microscopie Electronique, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
J Cell Sci. 2013 Oct 15;126(Pt 20):4545-52. doi: 10.1242/jcs.124123.
Since electron microscopy (EM) first appeared in the 1930s, it has held centre stage as the primary tool for the exploration of biological structure. Yet, with the recent developments of light microscopy techniques that overcome the limitations imposed by the diffraction boundary, the question arises as to whether the importance of EM in on the wane. This Commentary describes some of the pioneering studies that have shaped our understanding of cell structure. These include the development of cryo-EM techniques that have given researchers the ability to capture images of native structures and at the molecular level. It also describes how a number of recent developments significantly increase the ability of EM to visualise biological systems across a range of length scales, and in 3D, ensuring that EM will remain at the forefront of biology research for the foreseeable future.
自 20 世纪 30 年代电子显微镜（EM）首次出现以来，它一直是探索生物结构的主要工具。然而，随着近年来克服了由衍射边界限制的光显微镜技术的发展，人们不禁要问，EM 的重要性是否在减弱。本评论描述了一些开拓性的研究，这些研究塑造了我们对细胞结构的理解。其中包括开发低温 EM 技术，使研究人员能够捕获天然结构的图像，并在分子水平上进行观察。它还描述了最近的一些发展如何显著提高了 EM 在各种长度尺度和 3D 下可视化生物系统的能力，确保 EM 在可预见的未来仍将处于生物学研究的前沿。
