SEM Goes Live

Courtesy of QuantomiX

The ultrahigh resolution of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) makes it a powerful tool for examining microstructures. But while SEM is a great way to study the surface of a crystal or a silicon chip, its application to the life sciences has lagged far behind its usefulness in materials science and crystallography.

SEM samples must generally be imaged in a vacuum, which is not a friendly place for cells. Moreover, traditional methods of preparing wet samples for the vacuum chamber, such as chemically controlled drying and cryopreparation, can alter or destroy features of biological tissue.

Rehovot, Israel-based QuantomiX http://www.quantomix.com has developed an instrument that may change all that. The QX capsule is a single-use device that serves as both a cell culture dish and a container for SEM samples. The samples inside the capsule can be imaged with minimal or no preparation, thanks to the capsule's membrane,...