Serial Block Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM) can generate large 3D volumes by assembling sequential 2D images acquired in a scanning electron microscope.

SBF-SEM incorporates a microtome within the scanning electron microscope chamber. The microtome cuts a thin section from the resin specimen block, an image is collected on the backscatter electron detector, and the procedure is repeated until the required number of images to reconstruct a 3D volume of the sample is generated.

This technique uses room temperature processing techniques with high levels of en bloc heavy metal staining required to generate a sufficiently robust back-scattered electron signal to form an image.

Some of our publications featuring SEM applications:

Excitatory and inhibitory synapses show a tight subcellular correlation that weakens over development

Multi-synaptic boutons are a feature of CA1 hippocampal connections in the stratum oriens

Equipment available

• JEOL JSM 7800F LV with a ConnectomX Katana microtome and a Gatan OnPoint BSE detector