Electron cryotomography: a new view into microbial ultrastructure

Electron cryotomography (ECT) is an emerging technology that allows thin samples such as small bacterial cells to be imaged in 3D in a nearly native state to ‘molecular’ (∼4 nm) resolution. As such, ECT is beginning to deliver long-awaited insight into the positions and structures of cytoskeletal filaments, cell wall elements, motility machines, chemoreceptor arrays, internal compartments, and other ultrastructures. Here we briefly explain ECT, review its recent contributions to microbiology, and conclude with a discussion of future prospects.