Carl Zeiss Microscopy and Gatan have introduced a system providing high-resolution 3D data of resin-embedded cell and tissue samples.
The 3View system consists of an ultra-microtome directly integrated into the vacuum chamber of the Zeiss Merlin and Sigma VP field emission scanning electron microscopes. It enables the automated serial blockface imaging of embedded samples such as cells or tissue with slice thickness down to 15nm. Thus, image stacks containing hundreds, or even thousands of sequential slices may be generated, and a 3D profile of the sample with nanometre resolution built up.
Joel Mancuso, applications manager at Gatan, commented: ‘The 3View system simplifies three-dimensional electron microscopy providing researchers with limited electron microscopy expertise an opportunity to collect high resolution volumetric datasets by removing the difficult step of cutting and collecting ultrathin sections.’
The first pilot customers are already using the systems successfully, among them Renovo Neural (Cleveland), offering 3DEM commercial services.
