{"title":"Biomedical application of organosilica nanoparticles.","authors":"Vikas Shukla, Junna Nakamura, Tomohiro Haruta, Michihiro Nakamura","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Organosilica nanoparticles are considered one of the promising nanomaterials for biomedical imaging and clinical applications due to their tunable properties, biocompatibility, and multimodal imaging ability. In this review, we summarize the synthesis and functionalization of organosilica nanoparticles with a particular focus on their importance in biomedical imaging. By their high fluorescence intensity and unique photostability, organosilica nanoparticles provide capabilities for high-resolution and long-term imaging for in vivo, mesoscopic, and microscopic applications. In addition, surface modifications of organosilica nanoparticles control cellular interactions, facilitating the accurate monitoring of cellular uptake, mitochondrial activity, and endosomal sorting. Incorporating recent progress and experimental results, this review summarizes the multiformity and extensive prospects of organosilica nanoparticle-based imaging modalities and offers perspectives on future development in nanoparticle-driven biomedical imaging and therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144259517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electron microscopy studies on interfacial solid-state reactions induced by electronic excitation.","authors":"Kazuhisa Sato","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We have studied the effects of electron irradiation on Pt/a-SiOx thin films by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Pt2Si was formed by 75 keV electron irradiation at 298 K and 90 K. Such a low temperature synthesis of Pt2Si can be attributed to the dissociation of a-SiOx induced by electronic excitation; Si-O bonds dissociate through Auger decay of core-holes generated by electronic excitation, and then, dissociated Si atoms form Pt-Si bonds. The morphology of Pt islands extensively changed during Pt2Si formation even at 90 K. Coalescence and growth of metallic particles are not due to thermal effects during electron irradiation but to athermal processes accompanied by silicide formation. To maintain the reaction interface between metallic particles and the dissociated Si atoms by electronic excitation, a considerable concomitant morphology change occurs. Similarly, Fe2Si was synthesized by using the same technique. In this way, we have demonstrated a versatile method for selectively forming nanoscale metal silicides in electron irradiated areas at room temperature. We also propose a new mechanism for crystallization of amorphous alloys which is mediated by additional solute atoms produced by electronic excitation. Crystallization of amorphous Pd-Si alloy thin films can be realized by 75 keV electron irradiation at 90 K via the electronic excitation, where both knock-on damage and a possible thermal crystallization can be excluded. Supply of dissociated Si to the Pd-Si layer may cause instability of the amorphous phase, which serves as the trigger for the remarkable structural change; ie, additional solute atom mediated crystallization.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144236130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Expanding the potential of paraffin section studies using NanoSuit-correlative light and electron microscopy.","authors":"Hideya Kawasaki","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Histological examination using optical microscopy is essential in life sciences and diagnostic medicine, particularly for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin or 3,3'-diaminobenzidine. However, conventional electron microscopy faces challenges, such as sample destruction, complex processing, and difficulty in correlating light and electron microscopy images. The NanoSuit method overcomes these limitations by forming an ultrathin protective membrane that enhances conductivity and preserves hydrated tissue architecture, enabling high-resolution scanning electron microscopy imaging. In this study, we applied NanoSuit-correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) to FFPE sections to assess its potential for non-destructive and reversible electron microscopy characterization. Using NanoSuit-CLEM, we successfully visualized endothelial structures, amyloid deposits, sarcomeres, mitochondria, bacteria, viruses, and foreign body deposits in FFPE sections. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry further facilitated elemental analysis of foreign materials. These findings demonstrate that NanoSuit-CLEM allows for the precise visualization of ultrastructural details in FFPE sections without requiring new equipment. This method holds promise for advancing pathology by improving diagnostic accuracy and enabling multimodal tissue analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144183011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Characterization of the INTPIX4 SOI pixel detector in transmission electron microscopy at 120 keV and 200 keV.","authors":"Yuichi Ishida, Takafumi Ishida, Makoto Kuwahara, Yasuo Arai, Koh Saitoh","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Imaging performance with 120 and 200 keV electrons was evaluated with an integration-type silicon-on-insulator (SOI) pixel detector called INTPIX4 installed in a conventional transmission electron microscope. We demonstrated that single-electron events can be detected with INTPIX4 quantitatively. The gain and signals of single-electron events were measured. On the basis of the results, the yields of the collected charge for 120 and 200 keV electrons were estimated to be 96±5% and 97±5%, respectively. The modulation transfer function and detective quantum efficiency were also measured. INTPIX4 was clarified to have high detection efficiency and high sensitivity. We also found that it is necessary to use electron beams with energies less than 120 keV for INTPIX4 because multiple scattering of primary electrons at the silicon sensor degrades image resolution. This detector is expected to be applicable to low-dose observations in transmission electron microscopy.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144183448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julie Marie Bekkevold, Jonathan J P Peters, Ryo Ishikawa, Naoya Shibata, Lewys Jones
{"title":"Auto-thresholding for Unbiased Electron Counting.","authors":"Julie Marie Bekkevold, Jonathan J P Peters, Ryo Ishikawa, Naoya Shibata, Lewys Jones","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As interest in fast real-space frame-rate scanning transmission electron microscopy for both structural and functional characterisation of materials increases, so does the need for precise and fast electron detection techniques. Electron counting, with monolithic, segmented, or 4D detectors, has been explored for many years. Recent studies have shown that a retrofittable signal digitiser for a monolithic or segmented detector can be a sustainable and accessible way to enhance the performance of existing detectors, especially for imaging at fast scan speeds. Since such signal digitisation uses a threshold on the gradient of the detector signal to identify electron events, appropriate threshold choice is key. Previously, this threshold has been set manually by the operator and is therefore inherently susceptible to human bias. In this work, we introduce an auto-thresholding approach for electron counting to determine the optimal threshold by maximising the difference in identified counts from a stream with real electron events and a stream with only noise. This leads to easier operation, increased throughput and eliminates human bias in signal digitisation.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144103296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ultra-low-voltage observation of battery materials by scanning electron microscopy.","authors":"Yoichiro Hashimoto, Yutaka Nagaoka, Toru Aiso, Shuhei Yabu, Masahiro Sasajima","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The mechanism of voltage contrast formation under ultra-low landing energy condition is discussed, by which a binder contained in lithium-ion battery anode material has been visualized with high contrast. Since the anode material is a complex experimental system with multiple contrast formation factors, a standard sample simulating it was fabricated for simplification. The binder was observed darker than the substrate at landing energies of 30 eV to 50 eV. The binder exhibited a distinct appearance reflecting its shape (in the 3D-particle mode) at 20 eV. The mirroring phenomenon occurred at 10 eV, in which the primary electrons bounced off the sample before irradiating on the surface. The surface potential at the electron beam irradiation moment was presumed to affect the contrast formation, but direct measurement of it was difficult. Thus, the sample was transferred to an AFM without exposure to the atmosphere to measure the \"residual\" potential of the binder in KPFM mode after the SEM observations. Under darker binder observed conditions of 30 eV to 50 eV, KPFM measured residual potential was positive relative to the substrate. Under conditions of the 3D-particle mode at 20 eV and the mirroring phenomenon at 10 eV, the residual potentials were negative. Therefore, a correlation between the behavior of the voltage contrast and the residual potential was obtained. Finer landing-energy step measurement revealed hysteresis responses of voltage contrast and the residual potential to the landing energy. The Cause of the hysteresis was discussed. The mechanism of voltage contrast formation under ultra-low landing energy condition is discussed, by which a binder contained in lithium-ion battery material has been visualized with high contrast. We confirmed that the contrast change is caused by the surface potential change depending on the landing energy of the primary electron.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144082601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Discovery of Golgi Membrane-associated Degradation Pathway, GOMED: A Focus on 15 Years of Ultrastructural Analyses.","authors":"Satoko Arakawa, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Shigeomi Shimizu","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this review, we focus on the ultrastructural characteristics of the Golgi membrane-associated degradation (GOMED) pathway, which have been clarified by electron microscopy and highlight recent advances in the elucidation of its molecular mechanism and physiological roles. The discovery of GOMED, an Atg5/Atg7-independent degradation pathway that differs from canonical autophagy in membrane origin, stimuli, and substrate specificity, has substantially expanded our understanding of intracellular degradation systems. In 2009, we identified GOMED as a novel, evolutionarily conserved autophagic pathway and demonstrated its role in intracellular degradation across eukaryotes, from yeast to mammals. We identified the conserved protein Hsv2/Wipi3 as an essential GOMED protein, which translocates to the trans-Golgi upon induction and remodels Golgi membranes into cup-shaped structures that engulf cytoplasmic components for lysosomal degradation. These processes contribute to organelle and secretory granule turnover, as well as mitochondrial clearance during erythroid differentiation. Moreover, neuronal-specific ablation of Wipi3 in mice causes severe cerebellar degeneration, implicating GOMED in tissue development and homeostasis. As these mechanisms are associated with diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer, GOMED mechanisms should also be considered when establishing therapeutic strategies for these diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144013956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ultra-Low Accelerating Voltage Scanning Electron Microscopy with Multiple Imaging Detectors.","authors":"Kaoru Sato, Masayasu Nagoshi, Takaya Nakamura, Hiroshi Imoto","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper describes the positioning of the ultra-low accelerating voltage scanning electron microscope (ULV-SEM) equipped with multiple imaging detectors in the history of SEM development. ULV-SEM provides rich information once the user finds the \"sweet spot\" for both secondary electron and backscattered electron images based on an understanding of the signal acceptance of the instrument. Use of multiple imaging detectors allows acquisition of various images with a single scan. X-ray microanalysis under the same experimental conditions as the observation \"sweet spot\" has become possible with a windowless X-ray spectrometer optimized for use at a short working distance.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144058139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"High energy-resolution soft X-ray emission spectrometer using a back-thinned CMOS detector for chemical bonding state analysis.","authors":"Shogo Koshiya, Takanori Murano, Masami Terauchi","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Improvement of a commercially available soft X-ray emission spectrometer was tested by introducing a fine-pixel-sized CMOS detector. The peak width of Mg Kα-emission was reduced to 1/4 of that obtained by the CCD detector presently used. Furthermore, the differences in the energy positions of satellite lines of Mg Kα- and also Kβ-emission profiles of Mg and MgO were observed. O K-emission profile of MgO exhibited a few structures reflecting the chemical bonding state. This spectrometer easily discriminated the intensity profiles of Fe Lα,β-emission reflecting the chemical bonding states of Fe atoms in Fe, FeO, Fe3O4, and Fe2O3.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144055580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mechanical characterization of nanomaterials revealed by Microscopic Nanomechanical Measurement method.","authors":"Yoshifumi Oshima, Jiaqi Zhang, Chunmeng Liu, Jiaming Liu, Keisuke Ishizuka, Toyoko Arai, Masahiko Tomitori","doi":"10.1093/jmicro/dfaf019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfaf019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mechanical properties of nanomaterials (approximately 10 nm or less in size) has been attracted much attention for their application in nanoelectromechanical and advanced sensors. Recently, an in-situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) holder with a length extension resonator (LER) of quartz crystal as a force sensor, called Microscopic nanomechanical measurement (MNM) method, has been developed. It enables us to estimate not only Young's modulus but also critical shear stress for nanomaterials precisely. In this review, the principle of this novel method is introduced and the mechanical characterization of nanomaterials revealed by this method are presented. (1) The size dependence of Young's modulus of gold nanocontacts when stretched in the [111] direction was measured, which could be explained by summing the bulk and surface Young's moduli weighted according to the ratio of internal to surface atoms. Bulk and surface Young's modulus was estimated to be 119 and 22 GPa, respectively. (2) Young's modulus of MoS2 nanoribbons with armchair edge increased with decreasing the width, which indicated that the armchair edge bonds were stiffer than those inside the nanoribbon. (3) By measuring stiffness of Pt atomic chains consisting of two to five atoms, bond stiffnesses at the middle of the chain and at the connection to the base were estimated to be 25 and 23 N/m, respectively, which were higher than the bulk bond stiffness. (4) Critical shear stress of Au nanocontacts was estimated to be 0.94 GPa by measuring the LER amplitude dependence of dissipative energy.</p>","PeriodicalId":74193,"journal":{"name":"Microscopy (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143797295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}