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Thermo Fisher Electron Microscope
Exploring the Beauty of Life Structures through Perspective and Exploring a New Chapter in Electron Microscopy
Date: 2025-11-14Read: 1
Electron microscopy technology, as an important window to reveal the mysteries of life, is profoundly changing the research landscape of life sciences. From agricultural and forestry science to basic medicine, and then to innovation in traditional Chinese medicine, electron microscopes have become a key tool for researchers to gain insights into the microscopic world with their nanoscale resolution and multidimensional imaging capabilities.
Agricultural and Forestry Sciences:
Insight into the life code of crops, empowering agricultural innovation and development
In plant science and crop breeding research, electron microscopes reveal microstructures such as cells, chloroplasts, and pollen at high resolution, helping researchers understand the mechanisms of plant growth, stress resistance, and metabolism.
Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) has a unique environmental observation mode, which can observe the water content of samples in a liquid state in situ, providing intuitive image basis for crop improvement, disease prevention and control, and ecological agriculture (Fig.1). Using body electron microscopy technology and Amira software, volume reconstruction and 3D high-resolution imaging of plant cells were achieved (Fig.2).
Fig.1 Surface protrusions on rose petals in natural moisture state
Fig.2 Volume reconstruction of tobacco epidermal cells
For large-scale images, it is also possible to use software such as Maps to achieve the stitching and stacking of cell slices at different magnifications.
Insight into Agricultural Cryptography: A New Journey of Agricultural Research Driven by Electron Microscopy
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Medical research:
Capture every detail of life from cells to moleculesmoment
In the study of disease mechanisms, pharmacological mechanisms, and physiological structures, electron microscopy helps scientists reconstruct tissue ultrastructure, observe changes in cellular substructures, and reveal the three-dimensional morphology of life activities. Provide solid data support for pathological research, tissue regeneration, and drug development.
Two dimensional imaging of resin embedded cells, tissues, and biological sections using SEM or TEM can clearly present the fine structure within the cells. Optimize workflow, support large-scale organizational scanning and high magnification observation of specific areas, STEM mode provides higher contrast imaging for ultra-thin samples (Fig.3).
Fig. 3 Transmission electron microscopy imaging of liver tissue slices at low, medium, and high magnifications
The protein localization and functional biology information obtained by fluorescence microscopy can be supplemented and enhanced through SEM/TEM ultrastructural imaging. CLEM technology integrates multidimensional data to provide panoramic analysis of sample biological characteristics (Fig.4).
Fig. 4 Splicing Composite Image (2600x-22000x Magnification) and Full Resolution Fluorescence Microscope Data (MAPS)
Perspective structure origin, electron microscopy empowers new breakthroughs in medical research
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Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Analyze the essence of tradition and assist in the exploration of modernization
In the modernization process of traditional Chinese medicine, electron microscopy technology takes a micro perspective as its core, constructing a multidimensional research support system from quality control of medicinal materials to mechanism analysis, and becoming a key bridge connecting traditional experience and scientific evidence.
The microscopic morphological characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine can be captured and observed by scanning electron microscopy. For example, observing the microstructure of bone tissue scaffolds prepared by the combination of total saponins of Panax notoginseng and total flavonoids of bone fragment supplements provides morphological basis for analyzing drug release behavior and biocompatibility. (Fig.5)
Fig.5 SEM images of PO-PP and POP scaffolds. PO layer exhibits porous structure at magnifications of 4500×; PP layer shows electrospinning net at magnifications of 2500×; POP scaffold has a porous structure at magnifications of 4500×.
In the study of the active ingredients and medicinal mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine, cryo electron microscopy can provide near atomic level structural observations. For example, single particle analysis technology revealed the structural basis of the binding between apigenin and human uric acid transporter protein, elucidating the molecular mechanism of the efficacy of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. The structural information provided by cryo electron microscopy analysis can guide rational design and optimization of drugs. (Fig.6)
Fig. 6: Overall cryo-EM structures of GLUT9-UA.
From morphology to mechanism - multimodal technology empowers the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine research
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