Correlative Array Tomography – from 2D towards 3D

Correlative microscopy combines information from light and electron microscopy (LM and EM) into one comprehensive dataset. The “Shuttle & Find” interface from Zeiss was the first easy to use solution for imaging one and the same sample region in different microscopes, i.e. from widefield or confocal LMs to environmental or field emission SEMs (FE-SEM). However, Shuttle & Find is limited to 2D applications. Correlative Array Tomography is a novel 3D approach and works with ultrathin serial sections that can be fluorescently stained for LM investigations and transferred into the SEM afterwards. In contrast to serial block face methods (i.e. 3View or focused ion beam SEM) Correlative Array Tomography is a non-destructive method that allows multiple investigations of the same sample and even multiple successive fluorescent staining procedures [1]. This approach also improves z-resolution in LM since that is now governed by the thickness of the serial sections.