Quality of extracellular vesicle images by transmission electron microscopy is operator and protocol dependent.

ABSTRACT: Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has nanometre resolution and can be used to distinguish single extracellular vesicles (EVs) from non-EV particles. TEM images of EVs are a result of operator image selection. To which extent operator image selection reflects the overall sample quality, and to which extent the images are comparable and reproducible, is unclear. In a first attempt to improve the comparability and reproducibility of TEM to visualise EVs, we compared operator image selection to images taken at predefined locations from the same grids, using four EV TEM preparation protocols, a single EV-containing sample and a single TEM instrument. Operator image selection leads to high-quality images that are more similar between the protocols. In contrast, images taken at predefined lo

SUBMITTER: Rikkert LG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6327933 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature