Integrating cellular electron microscopy with multimodal data to explore biology across space and time. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38306982/)

These scientists wanted to understand how living things work at different levels, from really big things like tissues to really tiny things like molecules. But to do this, they needed to use a special kind of microscope called an electron microscope.

They used two different types of electron microscopes. The first one is called volume electron microscopy (vEM), which can take pictures of really big things like cells and tissues. It helps them see how these things are organized and how they work together.

The second microscope is called cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). This one can take pictures of really tiny things, like molecules inside cells. It helps them see the details of how these molecules are shaped and how they interact with each other.

But the scientists didn't stop there! They also found ways to combine the pictures from these microscopes with other types of information. They used things like fluorescence microscopy, which helps them see different molecules in cells, and mass spectrometry, which helps them identify the molecules.

They even used something called single-particle analysis, which helps them study individual molecules and learn how they work. And they used artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the shapes of these molecules.

By combining all of these different methods, the scientists were able to get a better understanding of how living things work. They could see how the big things and the tiny things all fit together and how they interact with each other.

Finally, they also talked about using computers to simulate all this information. This means they can create virtual models of living things and see how they change over time. It's like playing a video game, but with real science!

So, these scientists used special microscopes and other techniques to study living things at different levels, from big to small. They learned a lot about how everything fits together and how it all works. And they even used computers to make virtual models and see how things change over time.

McCafferty CL., Klumpe S., Amaro RE., Kukulski W., Collinson L., Engel BD. Integrating cellular electron microscopy with multimodal data to explore biology across space and time. Cell. 2024 Feb 1;187(3):563-584. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.005.