Modern electron microscopy methods for C. elegans

Abstract

From its inception as a model organism 40 years ago, Caenorhabditis elegans was chosen in part for its suitability for study in serial thin sections by electron microscopy. Recent improvements in electron microscopy technology are making this pursuit more reliable and more powerful. In this chapter, we highlight new methods in specimen preparation, imaging, and data analysis. Accurate three-dimensional information can now be obtained for the whole animal at all stages, down to the level of individual organelles and the cytoskeleton.