Technologies

U-ExM (Ultrastructure Expansion Microscopy)

U-ExM makes it possible to visualize the ultrastructure of many types of biological samples with great precision, ranging from cells, tissues, organoids or sections on slides. With an expansion factor of ~4, U-ExM is particularly valuable for examining specific subcellular alterations, making it a powerful tool for understanding disease mechanisms but also to assess gene therapy at subcellular resolution.

Imaging cellular ultrastructures using expansion microscopy (U-ExM) | Nature Methods

Charting the landscape of cytoskeletal diversity in microbial eukaryotes - ScienceDirect

Time-series reconstruction of the molecular architecture of human centriole assembly: Cell

Cryo-ExM (Cryofixation couple at U-ExM)

This protocol combines cryofixation in vitreous water (awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize) and expansion microscopy, guaranteeing optimal conservation of the native cellular architecture. This approach is particularly advantageous for preserving fragile structures and maintaining native molecular distribution, ensuring exceptional observation and minimal distortion. However, only thin samples can be processed with this protocol.

Visualizing the native cellular organization by coupling cryofixation with expansion microscopy (Cryo-ExM) | Nature Methods

Unveiling the Molecular Architecture of T Cells and Immune Synapses with Cryo-Expansion Microscopy | bioRxiv

iU-ExM (Iterative Ultrastructure Expansion Microscopy)

Thanks to two rounds of isotropic expansions and an expansion factor of about 16, iU-ExM enables the visualization of nanometric structures such as synapses or nuclear pores and can reveal the periodicity of proteins within organelles.

iU-ExM: nanoscopy of organelles and tissues with iterative ultrastructure expansion microscopy | Nature Communications