Electron Microscopy and Contrast Agents for Biological Tissue Imaging
This community develops methods to visualize the internal structure of cells and tissues using electron beams and X-rays, often employing heavy metals to make specific structures visible.
The work centers on optimizing sample preparation and imaging techniques for biological specimens. Recurring methods include scanning and transmission electron microscopy, computed tomography, and the use of osmium tetroxide and other heavy-metal stains to enhance contrast. Applications span the study of bone marrow adipose tissue, intracranial aneurysm walls, peripheral nerves, and the ultrastructure of organisms such as neon tetras and slime molds. The research focuses on preserving morphological integrity while revealing fine structural details that standard optical microscopy cannot resolve.
The largest share of the community's output is found in osmium research, accounting for 17.5% of all osmium studies, with 632 papers in this group. It also represents 4.2% of praseodymium research and 1.5% of lanthanum research.
There are 3,116 papers in this community, published primarily in The Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Ultrastructure Research, and Mycologia.
Recent work includes imaging aneurysm wall enhancement to assess rupture risk, visualizing specific molecules in brain tissue, and optimizing sample preparation for nanoscale infrared spectroscopy.
Papers behind this description
- Adipose tissue as a linchpin of organismal ageing — Nature Metabolism, 2024 — doi:10.1038/s42255-024-01046-3
- Cellulose and its derivatives: Structure, modification, and application in controlled drug delivery — Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025 — doi:10.1186/s43094-025-00834-2
- Microscopy Methods for Biofilm Imaging: Focus on SEM and VP-SEM Pros and Cons — Biology, 2021 — doi:10.3390/biology10010051
- Piezo1 activation suppresses bone marrow adipogenesis to prevent osteoporosis by inhibiting a mechanoinflammatory autocrine loop — Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 2025 — doi:10.1038/s41392-025-02455-w
- Scanning Electron Microscopy — Current Protocols, 2024 — doi:10.1002/cpz1.1034
- Gadolinium-Enhanced Aneurysm Wall Imaging and Risk of Intracranial Aneurysm Growth or Rupture — JAMA Neurology, 2025 — doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.3209
- Soft tissue constraints on joint mobility in the avian shoulder — Journal of Experimental Biology, 2025 — doi:10.1242/jeb.250952
- Aneurysm Wall Enhancement and Probability of Instability in Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Long‐Term Follow‐Up Study — Annals of Neurology, 2025 — doi:10.1002/ana.78106
- Dimeric gold nanoparticles enable multiplexed labeling in cryoelectron tomography — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025 — doi:10.1073/pnas.2524034122