Study of intracellular protein condensation by cryogenic scanning transmission electron tomography

by Prof. Michael Elbaum

Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science

at Biological and soft-matter physics

Thu, 18 May 2023, 12:10
Sacta-Rashi Building for Physics (54), room 207

Abstract

Electron tomography is a powerful method to visualize biological cells in three dimensions. Cryo-tomography is especially interesting because one sees the native biomolecules without the need for chemical fixation or contrast staining with heavy metals. The aqueous medium is vitrified to form a glass that immobilizes and encases the cell in its native hydrated state. The conventional approach based on wide-field imaging is very limited in terms of specimen thickness, however. Our lab has pursued an alternative based on point scanning, known as scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). STEM is intrinsically better suited to thick specimens and offers a wide variety of contrast modes depending on the flexible configuration of detectors. For studies in the cell it can be combined very effectively with correlative fluorescence microscopy. The talk will introduce the methodologies and then focus on a study of intracellular protein condensation using two model systems of multivalent self-assembly based on ferritin.

Created on 19-04-2023 by Granek, Rony (rgranek)
Updaded on 11-05-2023 by Granek, Rony (rgranek)