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Abstract

Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) has given unprecedented insights into the structure of macromolecules in their native cellular environment. This technique bridges the gap between high-resolution ex-situ single particle analysis and low-resolution, in-situ data, i.e. from correlative light microscopy or other complementary methods [1,2]. The workflow for preparing a frozen-hydrated sample, thinning cellular samples to electron transparency, cryo-ET imaging, and tomogram reconstruction is already highly streamlined. Hence, the accessible biological questions depend solely on vitrification and the subsequent preparation of the specimen. However, while there exist many techniques to preserve whole cells or tissues in specific conditions, transient events inside cells remain largely occluded [3, 4].