3D super-resolution correlative light and electron microscopy on a dedicated CLEM microscope and development of an automated data acquisition

Fluorescence microscopy can provide information about location of specific protein molecules, by tagging them with fluorescent moieties, or by labeling them with fluorescent antibodies. However, this information is constraint by the limited resolution of the fluorescence microscope as well as by the absence of cellular context on the nano-scale. Therefore it is necessary to employ correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), which couples electron microscope information to the fluorescence information of exactly the same location. We have recently acquired a dedicated CLEM instrument, that combines fluorescence optics (DELMIC) and electron optics (JEOL JSM7200), facilitating correlation to a high extent. The goal of this project is to extend the capabilities of the acquired setup to 3D super-resolution fluorescence CLEM for fast, easy and reliable operation.