Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a microscopic technique that involves observing samples using transmission electron microscopy at low temperatures. The samples are rapidly frozen and kept at low temperatures before being placed in the microscope. Highly coherent electrons are used as the light source, passing through the sample and the surrounding ice layers, and scattering in the process. The scattered signals are then captured by detectors and lens systems, processed to create an image, and analyzed to determine the structure of the sample.

Application Areas：Cryo-electron tomography was initially used primarily in structural biology. However, due to recent technological advancements, it has become a powerful tool with broad applications in microbiology, neurobiology, immunology, cell biology, developmental biology, and molecular biology.