Automated sub-5 nm image registration in integrated correlative fluorescence and electron microscopy using cathodoluminescence pointers

Journal Article (2017)
Author(s)

Martijn Haring (TU Delft - ImPhys/Charged Particle Optics)

Nalan Liv Hamarat (TU Delft - ImPhys/Charged Particle Optics)

Christiaan Zonnevylle (TU Delft - ImPhys/Charged Particle Optics)

Angela Narvaez Gonzalez (TU Delft - ImPhys/Charged Particle Optics)

Lennard Voortman (Delmic)

Pieter Kruit (TU Delft - ImPhys/Charged Particle Optics)

Jacob Hoogenboom (TU Delft - ImPhys/Charged Particle Optics)

DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43621 Final published version
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Publication Year
2017
Language
English
Volume number
7
Article number
43621
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Abstract

In the biological sciences, data from fluorescence and electron microscopy is correlated to allow fluorescence biomolecule identification within the cellular ultrastructure and/or ultrastructural analysis following live-cell imaging. High-accuracy (sub-100 nm) image overlay requires the addition of fiducial markers, which makes overlay accuracy dependent on the number of fiducials present in the region of interest. Here, we report an automated method for light-electron image overlay at high accuracy, i.e. below 5 nm. Our method relies on direct visualization of the electron beam position in the fluorescence detection channel using cathodoluminescence pointers. We show that image overlay using cathodoluminescence pointers corrects for image distortions, is independent of user interpretation, and does not require fiducials, allowing image correlation with molecular precision anywhere on a sample.