scholarly journals High-resolution three-dimensional probes of biomaterials and their interfaces

2012 ◽  
Vol 370 (1963) ◽  
pp. 1337-1351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Grandfield ◽  
Anders Palmquist ◽  
Håkan Engqvist
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Controlled Drug Release ◽  
Biological Tissues ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Bone Interface ◽  
Biomaterial Interfaces ◽  
Titania Coating

Interfacial relationships between biomaterials and tissues strongly influence the success of implant materials and their long-term functionality. Owing to the inhomogeneity of biological tissues at an interface, in particular bone tissue, two-dimensional images often lack detail on the interfacial morphological complexity. Furthermore, the increasing use of nanotechnology in the design and production of biomaterials demands characterization techniques on a similar length scale. Electron tomography (ET) can meet these challenges by enabling high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of biomaterial interfaces. In this article, we review the fundamentals of ET and highlight its recent applications in probing the three-dimensional structure of bioceramics and their interfaces, with particular focus on the hydroxyapatite–bone interface, titanium dioxide–bone interface and a mesoporous titania coating for controlled drug release.

Three-Dimensional Structure of Helical and Zigzagged Nanowires Using Electron Tomography

2008 ◽  
Vol 1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Sung Kim ◽  
Yoon Myung ◽  
Chang Hyun Kim ◽  
Seung Yong Bae ◽  
Jae-Pyoung Ahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Helical Structure ◽  
Axial Direction ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Gan Nanowires ◽  
Transmission Electron

ABSTRACTElectron tomography and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the unique three-dimensional structures of helical or zigzagged GaN, ZnGa2O4 and Zn2SnO4 nanowires. The helical GaN nanowires adopt a helical structure that consists of six equivalent <0-111> growth directions with the axial [0001] direction. The ZnGa2O4 nanosprings have four equivalent <011> growth directions with the [001] axial direction. The zigzagged Zn2SnO4 nanowires consisted of linked rhombohedrons structure having the side edges matched to the <011> direction, and the [111] axial direction.

Electron crystallographic determination of the 3-D structure of staurolite at atomic resolution

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 540-541
Author(s):  
Kenneth H. Downing ◽  
Hu Meisheng ◽  
Hans-Rudolf Went ◽  
Michael A. O'Keefe
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Resolution ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Structure Information ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Scattering Effects ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Effects Of Radiation

With current advances in electron microscope design, high resolution electron microscopy has become routine, and point resolutions of better than 2Å have been obtained in images of many inorganic crystals. Although this resolution is sufficient to resolve interatomic spacings, interpretation generally requires comparison of experimental images with calculations. Since the images are two-dimensional representations of projections of the full three-dimensional structure, information is invariably lost in the overlapping images of atoms at various heights. The technique of electron crystallography, in which information from several views of a crystal is combined, has been developed to obtain three-dimensional information on proteins. The resolution in images of proteins is severely limited by effects of radiation damage. In principle, atomic-resolution, 3D reconstructions should be obtainable from specimens that are resistant to damage. The most serious problem would appear to be in obtaining high-resolution images from areas that are thin enough that dynamical scattering effects can be ignored.

Practical electron tomography

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 742-743
Author(s):  
C.L. Woodcock
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Tomographic Reconstruction ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Shape ◽  
Computational Resources ◽  
Shape Of Particles

Despite the potential of the technique, electron tomography has yet to be widely used by biologists. This is in part related to the rather daunting list of equipment and expertise that are required. Thanks to continuing advances in theory and instrumentation, tomography is now more feasible for the non-specialist. One barrier that has essentially disappeared is the expense of computational resources. In view of this progress, it is time to give more attention to practical issues that need to be considered when embarking on a tomographic project. The following recommendations and comments are derived from experience gained during two long-term collaborative projects.Tomographic reconstruction results in a three dimensional description of an individual EM specimen, most commonly a section, and is therefore applicable to problems in which ultrastructural details within the thickness of the specimen are obscured in single micrographs. Information that can be recovered using tomography includes the 3D shape of particles, and the arrangement and dispostion of overlapping fibrous and membranous structures.

scholarly journals Capturing Enveloped Viruses on Affinity Grids for Downstream Cryo-Electron Microscopy Applications

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Kiss ◽  
Xuemin Chen ◽  
Melinda A. Brindley ◽  
Patricia Campbell ◽  
Claudio L. Afonso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Measles Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Nitrilotriacetic Acid ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Enveloped Viruses ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Virus

AbstractElectron microscopy (EM), cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) are essential techniques used for characterizing basic virus morphology and determining the three-dimensional structure of viruses. Enveloped viruses, which contain an outer lipoprotein coat, constitute the largest group of pathogenic viruses to humans. The purification of enveloped viruses from cell culture presents certain challenges. Specifically, the inclusion of host-membrane-derived vesicles, the complete destruction of the viruses, and the disruption of the internal architecture of individual virus particles. Here, we present a strategy for capturing enveloped viruses on affinity grids (AG) for use in both conventional EM and cryo-EM/ET applications. We examined the utility of AG for the selective capture of human immunodeficiency virus virus-like particles, influenza A, and measles virus. We applied nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid lipid layers in combination with molecular adaptors to selectively adhere the viruses to the AG surface. This further development of the AG method may prove essential for the gentle and selective purification of enveloped viruses directly onto EM grids for ultrastructural analyses.

scholarly journals A guided approach for subtomogram averaging of challenging macromolecular assemblies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Grotjahn ◽  
Saikat Chowdhury ◽  
Gabriel C. Lander
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Macromolecular Assemblies ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Subtomogram Averaging

AbstractCryo-electron tomography is a powerful biophysical technique enabling three-dimensional visualization of complex biological systems. Macromolecular targets of interest identified within cryo-tomograms can be computationally extracted, aligned, and averaged to produce a better-resolved structure through a process called subtomogram averaging (STA). However, accurate alignment of macromolecular machines that exhibit extreme structural heterogeneity and conformational flexibility remains a significant challenge with conventional STA approaches. To expand the applicability of STA to a broader range of pleomorphic complexes, we developed a user-guided, focused refinement approach that can be incorporated into the standard STA workflow to facilitate the robust alignment of particularly challenging samples. We demonstrate that it is possible to align visually recognizable portions of multi-subunit complexes by providing a priori information regarding their relative orientations within cryo-tomograms, and describe how this strategy was applied to successfully elucidate the first three-dimensional structure of the dynein-dynactin motor protein complex bound to microtubules. Our approach expands the application of STA for solving a more diverse range of heterogeneous biological structures, and establishes a conceptual framework for the development of automated strategies to deconvolve the complexity of crowded cellular environments and improve in situ structure determination technologies.

scholarly journals Cryo-Electron Tomography Reveals the Comparative Three-Dimensional Architecture of Prochlorococcus, a Globally Important Marine Cyanobacterium

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (12) ◽  
pp. 4485-4493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire S. Ting ◽  
Chyongere Hsieh ◽  
Sesh Sundararaman ◽  
Carmen Mannella ◽  
Michael Marko
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Membrane System ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Photosynthetic Membrane ◽  
Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography

ABSTRACT In an age of comparative microbial genomics, knowledge of the near-native architecture of microorganisms is essential for achieving an integrative understanding of physiology and function. We characterized and compared the three-dimensional architecture of the ecologically important cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus in a near-native state using cryo-electron tomography and found that closely related strains have diverged substantially in cellular organization and structure. By visualizing native, hydrated structures within cells, we discovered that the MED4 strain, which possesses one of the smallest genomes (1.66 Mbp) of any known photosynthetic organism, has evolved a comparatively streamlined cellular architecture. This strain possesses a smaller cell volume, an attenuated cell wall, and less extensive intracytoplasmic (photosynthetic) membrane system compared to the more deeply branched MIT9313 strain. Comparative genomic analyses indicate that differences have evolved in key structural genes, including those encoding enzymes involved in cell wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Although both strains possess carboxysomes that are polygonal and cluster in the central cytoplasm, the carboxysomes of MED4 are smaller. A streamlined cellular structure could be advantageous to microorganisms thriving in the low-nutrient conditions characteristic of large regions of the open ocean and thus have consequences for ecological niche differentiation. Through cryo-electron tomography we visualized, for the first time, the three-dimensional structure of the extensive network of photosynthetic lamellae within Prochlorococcus and the potential pathways for intracellular and intermembrane movement of molecules. Comparative information on the near-native structure of microorganisms is an important and necessary component of exploring microbial diversity and understanding its consequences for function and ecology.

Hepatocyte Aggregate Culture Technique for Bioreactors in Hybrid Liver Support Systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 843-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Gerlach ◽  
K. Klöppel ◽  
C. MÜller ◽  
N. Schnoy ◽  
M.D. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Culture Technique ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Cell Aggregates ◽  
Liver Support ◽  
Aggregate Culture

Utilizing a modified culture technique for hepatocytes, a high performance suspension culture is possible in which hepatocytes spontaneously form cell aggregates. The aggregates of 20-100 cells have been histologically confirmed to hold a three-dimensional structure, they show a long-term external metabolism and a survival time comparable with standard adhesion cultures. This technique has several advantages in the construction of large scale bioreactors for hybrid liver support systems.

A Novel Method for Automated Acquisition of Tilt Series for Electron Tomography Based on Pre-Calibration of the Specimen Stage

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1148-1149
Author(s):  
U. Ziese ◽  
A.H. Janssen ◽  
T.P. van der Krift ◽  
A.G. van Balen ◽  
W.J. de Ruijter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
3D Reconstruction ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Imaging Method ◽  
3D Images ◽  
Tilt Series ◽  
3D Information ◽  
Structural Arrangements

Electron tomography is a three-dimensional (3D) imaging method with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that provides high-resolution 3D images of structural arrangements. Conventional TEM images are in first approximation mere 2D-projections of a 3D sample under investigation. With electron tomographya series of images is acquired of a sample that is tilted over a large angular range (±70°) with small angular tilt increments (so called tilt-series). For the subsequent 3D-reconstruction, the images of the tilt series are aligned relative to each other and the 3D-reconstruction is computed. Electron tomography is the only technique that can provide true 3D information with nm-scale resolution of individual and unique samples. For (cell) biology and material science applications the availability of high-resolution 3D images of structural arrangements within individual samples provides unique architectural information that cannot be obtained otherwise. Routine application of electron tomography will comprise a major revolutionary step forward in the characterization of complex materials and cellular arrangements.

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