Towards correlative live-cell imaging using super-resolution optical and ion/electron based techniques and development of special holders

Clear understanding of molecular phenomena of cells/tissue response after interacting with dangerous metal nanoparticles is still lacking. In our research we thus focus on highly relevant scientific/toxicology problem, which is understanding of the mechanisms of molecular initiative events between nanoparticles (typically smaller than 100 nm) and lung tissue cells during inhalation [1]. It is strongly believed that nanoparticles can trigger toxic effects with increasing risk for further cardiovascular diseases [2]. However, limited spatial resolution of optical microscopy, even in super-resolution mode, prevents visualization of interaction phenomena at smaller, nanometer scales which could reveal some of still unclear molecular events. In order to get better insight on the phenomena at such small scales one needs to introduce proper correlative microscopy techniques which in our case are electron (eSEM) and ion based (PIXE, HIM). Since these techniques are commonly employed in high vacuum and detection principles differ reasonably in comparison to optical imaging techniques, special sample holders have to be developed in order to perform efficient correlative microscopy on different submicron scales.
In this pilot study we first tested the performance of correlative microscopy on epithelial cells nebulized with TiO2 nanoparticles using optical, eSEM and RISE techniques, while in the second pilot study we developed the concept for robust special holder preparation in order to enable super-resolution optical imaging (STED) as well as ion based imaging on the same sample site. Despite integrating few to few tens micron sized layers consisting of Mylar foil, water and glass which introduce refractive index mismatches, we were able to improve confocal resolution by at least factor 2-3 using STED imaging. This was a proof-of-concept that we can perform high resolution optical imaging on these holders which can successfully be implemented as well in correlative electron/ion based imaging, thus giving the opportunity to gain better insight of the measured complex samples from nano to micro scale.

[1] Iztok Urbančič et al., “Nanoparticles Can Wrap Epithelial Cell Membranes and Relocate Them Across the Epithelial Cell Layer,” Nano Letters 18, 5294–5305.
[2] Robert D. Brook et al., “Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the Expert Panel on Population and Prevention Science of the American Heart Association,” Circulation 109, 2655–2671