Electron microscopy offers scientists a unique window into the ultrastructure of cells and tissues, revealing details that cannot be seen with conventional microscopy. By visualising biological structures at very high resolution, researchers can compare, for example, wild-type (or natural) samples with samples in which a particular condition or effect has been experimentally induced, helping them understand how changes at the cellular level are linked to biological processes.

At GIMM’s electron microscopy platform, this capacity is now being significantly expanded with the arrival of new equipments. A new scanning electron microscope will make it possible to study the topography and elemental composition of samples, while also enabling volume analysis. This means that researchers will be able to extract not only structural information, but also information about the distribution of specific elements within a tissue – like iron accumulation in the kidney, for example.

There will also be an improvement in the way samples are prepared and analysed. A processing robot will automate and accelerate sample preparation, while a dedicated image analysis station will allow users to go beyond simply acquiring high-quality images, providing tools to process and analyse those images more effectively.

Some of the new technologies are particularly innovative. “The processing robot is the first of its kind to be installed in Europe, making GIMM a demonstration site where other facilities from across Europe can visit and test the technology”, notes the head of the platform, Ana Laura Vinagre. The new scanning electron microscope is also equipped with a SENSE detector, currently the only one of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula. This will enable the platform to perform volume electron microscopy, a powerful three-dimensional imaging approach – considered the “method of the year” by Nature magazine – that allows researchers to explore the organisation of biological structures in unprecedented detail.

The platform serves a diverse community of users. Around half are internal users from GIMM, while the other half are external, including research groups seeking access to the institute’s specialised electron microscopy capabilities. The platform also works with users from outside academia, including the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare sector, with hospitals using its services for diagnostic purposes. Together, these new technologies are broadening the possibilities of electron microscopy at GIMM, giving researchers access to new ways of visualising, mapping and analysing biological samples and bringing them closer to understanding what happens inside cells and tissues in three dimensions.