The Low Temperature Method for Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy – a New Method for Observation of Diatom Assemblages in vivo

0504760 - BÚ 2020 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Fránková, Markéta - Poulíčková, A. - Neděla, Vilém - Tihlaříková, Eva - Šumberová, Kateřina - Letáková, M.
The Low Temperature Method for Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy – a New Method for Observation of Diatom Assemblages in vivo.
Diatom Research. Roč. 33, č. 3 (2018), s. 397-403. ISSN 0269-249X. E-ISSN 2159-8347
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LD14045; GA MŠMT(CZ) LO1212
Institutional support: RVO:67985939 ; RVO:68081731
Keywords : living diatoms * epiphyton * low temperature method for ESEM
OECD category: Plant sciences, botany; Optics (including laser optics and quantum optics) (UPT-D)
Impact factor: 1.169, year: 2018
Method of publishing: Limited access

The Low Temperature Method for sample stabilization in environmental scanning electron microscopy (LTM for ESEM) is a promising tool for the observation of diatom assemblages in vivo. Use of the environmental scanning electron microscope, in comparison to the conventional scanning electron microscope, enables study of fresh material without any chemical pretreatment and conductive coating. The newly developed Low Temperature Method, introduced in this paper, offers higher resolution and better resistance of wet samples to radiation damage. We used natural epiphytic algal assemblages to image 3D structure of: i) biofilm/periphyton and its physical complexity, ii) diatoms with their extracellular mucilaginous secretions enabling cells to attach to the substrate, iii) diatom colony formation, and iv) intact diatom cells in contrast to separated empty valves observed in the conventional scanning electron microscope. This study demonstrates the potential of this new method for environmental scanning electron microscopy in diatom biology and ecology in comparison with other imaging methods.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0296319