2020

Sections through the three-dimensional reconstruction volume (upper left, grey) around a pulmonary alveolus with hyaline membrane (lower left, yellow). On the right, the images are superimposed. In the centre is the air bubble (alveolus). The electron density is represented by different shades of grey. On the inside of the air bubble is a layer of proteins and dead cell residues, the "hyaline membrane". This deposit, which can be represented in its three-dimensional structure for the first time by the new method, reduces the gas exchange and leads to respiratory distress. Photo: Tim Salditt, Marina Eckermann

Sections through the three-dimensional reconstruction volume (upper left, grey) around a pulmonary alveolus with hyaline membrane (lower left, yellow). On the right, the images are superimposed. In the centre is the air bubble (alveolus). The electron density is represented by different shades of grey. On the inside of the air bubble is a layer of proteins and dead cell residues, the "hyaline membrane". This deposit, which can be represented in its three-dimensional structure for the first time by the new method, reduces the gas exchange and leads to respiratory distress. Photo: Tim Salditt, Marina Eckermann

Multi-color 3D MINFLUX nanoscopy visualizes the cellular distribution and relative position of proteins that are only a few nanometers apart. The picture shows a mitochondrion from a human skin cell in which two proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane are stained: A subunit of the MICOS complex (Mic60), is colored in orange, a subunit of the mitochondrial ATP synthase (ATPB), is colored in blue. The scale bar has a length of 500 nanometers. © Till Stephan & Jasmin Pape / Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry