(Press-News.org) BETHESDA, MD – Scientists have developed a new imaging technique that uses a novel contrast mechanism in bioimaging to merge the strengths of two powerful microscopy methods, allowing researchers to see both the intricate architecture of cells and the specific locations of proteins—all in vivid color and at nanometer resolution.
The breakthrough, called multicolor electron microscopy, addresses a longstanding challenge in biological imaging: scientists have traditionally had to choose between seeing fine structural details or tracking specific molecules, but not both at once.
The approach opens doors for studying everything from cell signaling to the organization of molecular clusters within cells, all while seeing exactly where these processes occur within the cell’s architecture. The research will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026.
“I’ve always been fascinated by developing new microscopy techniques that can image things we haven't seen before,” said Debsankar Saha Roy, a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Maxim Prigozhin at Harvard University. “We’re building a multicolor electron microscope—a technique that combines the benefits of electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy.”
Traditional fluorescence microscopy works by attaching glowing tags to proteins of interest, then shining visible light on the sample to make those tags light up. This approach is excellent for locating specific molecules, but it has significant limitations. “The resolution is limited to about 250 to 300 nanometers, so you can't see individual proteins clearly,” Roy explained. “But the bigger issue is that you don't see the structure of the cell. You see whatever is labeled, but you don't see everything else around it.”
Electron microscopy, on the other hand, can reveal cellular structures in exquisite detail—down to a few nanometers—but hasn't traditionally been able to identify specific molecules in color. Scientists have tried combining the two approaches by taking separate images with each method and then overlaying them, but aligning the images precisely, especially in large samples like brain tissue, has proven extremely difficult.
The Harvard team's solution is elegant: instead of using two separate imaging sessions, they use a single electron beam to accomplish both tasks simultaneously.
“We’re not sending in light—we’re sending an electron beam,” Roy said. “We have probes that you can attach to a protein that emit visible light when excited by electrons. This process is called cathodoluminescence. So from the same electron beam, you get two sets of information: the colored signal from the probes, and also the detailed structural image from the electrons.”
A key advantage of the technique is that researchers can use existing fluorescent dyes that are already widely available and well-characterized. The team had previously developed lanthanide nanoparticles as probes for muticolor electron microscopy, and working to attach them to proteins.
More recently, the team made a surprising discovery when they placed some common fluorescent dyes in the electron microscope. “The most surprising thing we observed was that standard dyes used in fluorescence microscopy also emit visible light when you excite them with electrons,” Roy said. “That had never been seen before. And these dyes—and their protein labelling methods—are already developed and available; you don't have to create anything new.”
The team has already demonstrated the technique works in mammalian cells and biological tissues, including fungus-infected flies.
Looking ahead, the researchers aim to extend the technique into three dimensions. Currently, the method produces flat, two-dimensional images. The next frontier is adapting it for use with cryo-electron microscopy—a technique where samples are flash-frozen, preserving cells in their natural state and allowing scientists to image them from multiple angles to build 3D reconstructions.
“We want to extend this multicolor electron microscopy approach to 3D,” Roy said. “To get there, we aim to implement this technique in ultrathin sections of cell embedded matrices and/or in cryo-electron microscopy—that's the next step.”
###
The Biophysical Society, founded in 1958, is a professional, scientific society established to lead an innovative global community working at the interface of the physical and life sciences, across all levels of complexity, and to foster the dissemination of that knowledge. The Society promotes growth in this expanding field through its Annual Meeting, publications, and outreach activities. Its 6,500 members are located throughout the world, where they teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, laboratories, government agencies, and industry.
END
BETHESDA, MD – The tiny fatty capsules that delivered COVID-19 mRNA vaccines into billions of arms may work better when they’re a little disorganized. That’s the surprising finding from researchers who developed a new way to examine these drug-delivery vehicles one particle at a time—revealing that cramming in more medicine doesn't always mean better results. The research will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026.
Lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, are microscopic bubbles of fat that can ...
BETHESDA, MD – As space agencies prepare for human missions to the Moon and Mars, scientists need to understand how the absence of gravity affects living cells. Now, a team of researchers has built a rugged, affordable microscope that can image cells in real time during the chaotic conditions of zero-gravity flight—and they’re making the design available to the broader scientific community.
The research, previously published in npj Microgravity, will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026.
“We know that astronauts’ cellular ...
BETHESDA, MD – Denis V. Titov, of the University of California, Berkeley, USA will be honored as the recipient of the Biophysical Journal Paper of the Year-Early Career Investigator Award at the 70th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, held February 21-25 in San Francisco, California. This award recognizes the work of outstanding early career investigators in biophysics. The winning paper is titled “Glycolysis Model Shows that Allostery Maintains High ATP and Limits Accumulation of Intermediates.” The paper was published in Volume 124, Issue 10 of Biophysical Journal.
Glycolysis ...
BETHESDA, MD – When you step outside on a winter morning or pop a mint into your mouth, a tiny molecular sensor in your body springs into action, alerting your brain to the sensation of cold. Scientists have now captured the first detailed images of this sensor at work, revealing exactly how it detects both actual cold and the perceived cool of menthol, a compound derived from mint plants. The research will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026.
The study focused on a protein channel called TRPM8. “Imagine TRPM8 as a microscopic thermometer inside your body,” said Hyuk-Joon Lee, ...
Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new molecule which carries DNA into biological cells, to treat or vaccinate against illnesses. Many existing options rely on molecules with a strong positive charge, which can cause harmful inflammation. The team overcame this by using a neutral molecule and a new method to bind DNA to it, making it possible to deliver DNA into cells. Successful experiments in mice promise new, more effective therapies.
Over the last few decades, scientists have developed new treatments which deliver genetic information into cells. ...
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new study revealed that certain brain regions are more active in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during cognitively demanding tasks. The findings could help inform new ways in which the condition is treated and assessed.
The study, published in Imaging Neuroscience, was conducted by researchers in the laboratory of Theresa Desrochers, an associate professor of brain science and of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science.
Desrochers studies abstract sequential behavior, which is behavior — such ...
Researchers at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment found that ocean saltiness can influence the strength of El Niño, a climate phenomenon that can dramatically affect global weather. The results, published in Geophysical Research Letters in January, could inform development of more precise El Niño forecasts.
El Niño occurs every two to seven years, marked by wetter conditions in some parts of the world and drier weather in others. Its formation depends on weakening ...
ARLINGTON, Va.—Today the Office of Naval Research (ONR) celebrates the 41st year of its Young Investigator Program (YIP) by honoring the Class of 2026 YIP awardees.
Approximately $17 million in funding will be shared by 23 university professors to conduct innovative scientific research addressing critical naval warfighter challenges.
“In order for ONR to enhance the capabilities of the Sailors and Marines who depend on us, we must partner with the brightest scientists and engineers conducting the most innovative scientific and technology research,” said Chief of Naval Research Dr. Rachel Riley. “The Young Investigator Program is a vital component ...
Why do some people feel chills when listening to music, reading poetry, or viewing a powerful work of art, while others do not? New research by Giacomo Bignardi and his colleagues from Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) published in PLOS Genetics reveals that part of the answer lies in our genes.
Charles Darwin once described how hearing an anthem in King’s College Chapel gave him “intense pleasure so that [his] backbone would sometimes shiver.” Vladimir Nabokov (despite his notorious dislike for music) later celebrated the same sensation, calling it ‘the telltale tingle’ required to truly appreciate literary ...
Public misunderstanding about medical aid in dying in the United States falls into two distinct categories – misinformation and uncertainty – and each is driven by different forces, according to Rutgers Health researchers.
Their study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that misinformation about legality of medical aid in dying – a voluntary medical practice for terminally ill adults often abbreviated as MAID – is primarily shaped by ideology, while uncertainty is linked to structural barriers such as education level and financial ...
