Microfluidic cryofixation for correlative microscopy

Microfluidic approach that enables cryofixation to be performed directly in the light microscope with millisecond time resolution and at atmospheric pressure.

Cryofixation yields outstanding ultrastructural preservation of cells for electron microscopy, but current methods disrupt live cell imaging. Here we demonstrate a microfluidic approach that enables cryofixation to be performed directly in the light microscope with millisecond time resolution and at atmospheric pressure. This will provide a link between imaging/stimulation of live cells and post-fixation optical, electron, or X-ray microscopy.