Lighting up cells with genetically-encoded X-ray-sensitive probes

Synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy provides a unique approach for direct imaging a whole cell with its intrinsic nanoscale resolution. However, the lack of appropriate labels hampers its widespread use as compared to fluorescence super-resolution microscopy. A group of scientists in China repurposed peroxidases as genetically-encoded endogenous X-ray-sensitive tags, which allows nanoscale localization of protein-of-interest in mammalian cells.