Correlative light electron microscopy using gold nanoparticles as single probes

Correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM) is a powerful tool in bioimaging, as it combines the ability to image living cells over large fields of view with molecular specificity using light microscopy (LM) with the high spatial resolution and ultrastructural information of electron microscopy (EM). To highlight biomolecules of interest and determine their position with high accuracy in CLEM, researchers must ensure they are labeled with probes that are visible both in LM (typically by fluorescence) and in EM (using electron dense material). However, existing probes have a number of drawbacks, including lack of stability under LM (photobleaching) and lack of integrity.