Scientists at TU Delft have developed a novel technique for extracting precision biopsies from living single cells and imaging it at molecular resolution. Using a tiny microfluidic probe, the researchers can isolate specific organelles, such as mitochondria, while preserving the cellās viability. This method integrates precision biopsy and electron cryo-microscopy sample preparation into a single streamlined workflow. The work has been published inĀ Advanced Materials Technologies.
āCells contain essential information about life and disease,ā says associate professor Murali Ghatkesar. āTo study these processes effectively, it is important to access and analyse specific components within living cells.ā To achieve this, researchers from the Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering Ā and the Department of Bionanosciences combined Ā their respective expertise in micro/nanoengineering and electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM). The team developed a microscopic mechanical probe small enough to pierce a single cell and gently extract its contents, such as specific organelles. Using fluorescent labelling to mark the targeted content, the probe can be guided to the cellular region that needs to be extracted.
How it works
One of the major challenges is the extremely small scale at which the probe must operate. A single cell has a volume of approximately one trillionth of a liter (10ā»Ā¹Ā² L). To extract even a tiny portion of this without damaging the cell, the developed microscopic pipette can handle extremely small femtoliter-scale samples (10ā»Ā¹āµ L), about a thousand times smaller than the volume of a single cell. Once the probe extracts the targeted material, it is transferred onto an ultra-thin mesh and rapidly frozen in liquid ethane at -183Ā°C. This flash-freezing process preserves the native-like structure of molecules and organelles, enabling high-resolution imaging using cryo-EM.
More information
Vist the webpage.Ā