Correlative_Light-Electron_Microscopy
Correlative light-electron microscopy (CLEM) is the combination of an optical microscope – usually a fluorescence microscope – with an electron microscope. In an integrated CLEM system, the sample is imaged using an electron beam and an optical light path simultaneously. Traditionally, samples would be imaged using two separate microscopy modalities, potentially at different facilities and using different sample preparation methods. Integrated CLEM is thus considered to be beneficial because the methodology is quicker and easier, and it reduces the chance of changes in the sample during the process of data collection. Overlay of the two images is thus performed automatically as a result of the integration of two microscopes.[1]
This technique is used in order to obtain information at different length scales: the electron microscope provides high-resolution information down to the nano-scale, while the fluorescence microscope highlights the regions of interest. CLEM is used for various disciplines in the life sciences, including neuroscience, tissue research, and protein research.