Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• DiCecco, Liza‐Anastasia
• D'Elia, Andrew
• Miller, Chelsea
• Sask, Kyla N.
• Soleymani, Leyla
• Grandfield, Kathryn

Titel

Electron Microscopy Imaging Applications of Room Temperature Ionic Liquids in the Biological Field: A Review

Ist Teil von

• Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology, 2021-08, Vol.22 (15), p.2488-2506

Ort / Verlag

Germany: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Wiley Online Library - AutoHoldings Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• For biological imaging using electron microscopy (EM), the use of room‐temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) has been proposed as an alternative to traditional lengthy preparation methods. With their low vapor pressures and conductivity, RTILs can be applied onto hard‐to‐image soft and/or wet samples without dehydration – allowing for a more representative, hydrated state of material and opening the possibility for visualization of in situ physiological processes using conventional EM systems. However, RTILs have yet to be utilized to their full potential by microscopists and microbiologists alike. To this end, this review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of biological applications of RTILs for EM to bridge the RTIL, in situ microscopy, and biological communities. We outline future research avenues for the use of RTILs for the EM observation of biological samples, notably i) RTIL selection and optimization, ii) applications for live cell processes and iii) electron beam and ionic liquid interaction studies. Ionic liquids for biological imaging: This work comprehensively reviews the use of ionic liquids for preparing hard‐to‐image, non‐conductive, soft, and/or wet, biological materials for electron microscopy. Commonly used ionic liquids and their application to biomaterials for imaging are summarized to illicit sample‐specific best practices. While the technique has risen in popularity and holds promise for several biological fields, key challenges must be solved to allow for its widespread adoption in microscopy.