TESCAN Webinar:

3D FIB/SEM Data Acquisition and Processing Solutions for Life Sciences

On demand

ENGLISH

Current trends in electron microscopy include increased focus on the analysis of beam-sensitive biological materials such as tissue or cell cultures. Modern scanning electron microscope (SEM) column designs are able to acquire images at very low accelerating energies, which is key for efficient visualization of these sensitive biological samples at scales approaching the nanometer range.

Combining SEM with the site-specific milling capability of the focused ion beam (FIB) opens a broader range of possibilities for studying biological samples.

  • FIB-SEM systems are widely used, not only for routine preparation of ultra-thin specimens for analysis in the transmission electron microscope (TEM), but also for precise cross-sectioning and 3D volume imaging in both ambient temperatures and cryogenic conditions.
  • FIB milling is used extensively to reveal sub-surface information from bulk material and to create samples for other analytical modalities.
  • FIB-SEM for 3D tomography is a powerful technique in structural biology for enabling visualization of diverse organelles and tiny structures that helps researchers answer questions about the principles of biological processes.

In the seminar, we will discuss the capabilities of FIB-SEM solutions for detailed structural analysis of biological samples, including recent trends for using plasma-based FIB-SEM solutions to reveal the highest details in large volume sample analyses.

Arabidopsis thaliana root – 3D visualization of nucleus (cyan), cell wall (orange), desmotubules (green), Golgi complexes (violet), vesicles (purple) and mitochondria (blue). Sample courtesy of Dr. Ilya Belevich, Electron Microscopy Unit (EMBI), Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Arabidopsis thaliana root – 3D visualization of nucleus (cyan), cell wall (orange), desmotubules (green), Golgi complexes (violet), vesicles (purple) and mitochondria (blue).

Sample courtesy of Dr. Ilya Belevich, Electron Microscopy Unit (EMBI), Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Presenter: Martin Slama

About Martin Slama

Martin Slama is a Product Manager for FIB-SEM in Material Science and Life Science with over 5 years of experience in conventional and advanced TEM preparation methods using TESCAN’s plasma FIB and Ga+ FIB-SEM solutions for Materials Science. Prior to joining TESCAN, Martin worked in the field of new material development and characterization at Brno Technological University, CEITEC, and Aston University.