本セミナーでは、diamond knife cutting type Serial Block-face Electron Microscopy (SBEM) の先端的な使用方法や問題点の対処方法等を紹介して頂く予定です。

abstract: In the first part of the talk, I will give an overview of novel 3D electron microscopy methods for neuroscience that have been developed in the past 10 years. I will discuss the strengths, weaknesses and current performance parameters of these methods with respect to large-scale neuronal circuit reconstruction. I will cover Serial Block-face Electron Microscopy (SBEM) in most detail and will describe how sample surface charging and electron beam damage cause limitations for SBEM imaging. In the second part of the talk, I will present experimental approaches to overcome these limitations: low-energy ion bombardment and in-chamber deposition of thin metallic films to solve the charging problem, and low-temperature SBEM operation to reduce the effects of beam damage with the aim to allow higher electron doses.