Table 1 Comparison of Resolution, acquisition Time, and key findings across applications.
Application | Features resolved | Acquisition time | Key findings |
|---|---|---|---|
Euglena gracilis | ~ 54 nm (full-pitch) resolution | ~ 1.5 h tomogram | Clear distinction between organelles (chloroplasts, paramylon granules, nucleus, flagella); correlation with chlorophyll fluorescence for targeted cryo-ET/EM. |
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) | ~ 54 nm (FRC); 51 nm FWHM | ~ 1 h tomogram (29 nm voxel size) | Identification of lipid droplets and vacuoles in 3D; revealed vacuolar lipophagy and multivesicular organisation; quantitative volumetric segmentation feasible. |
HeLa cells with 100 nm polymeric nanoparticles (FluoSpheres) | Resolves ~ 100 nm NPs within cytoplasm | ~ 1–1.5 h tomogram | Nanoparticles localised to lysosomes; SXT resolved lysosomes, mitochondria, and lipid droplets; correlated FM confirmed NP localisation. |
H8N8 breast cancer cells with 50–60 nm zirconyl IOH-NPs | Single NPs (~ 60 nm) resolved | ~ 1.5 h tomogram; throughput ~ 20–30 cells in 2 weeks | NP uptake and trafficking to lysosomes; enabled statistical analysis of organelle changes across many cells; demonstrated compatibility with quantitative workflows. |
General performance (Siemens star + yeast vs. synchrotron) | 25 nm Siemens star; yeast FWHM 51 nm (lab) vs. 39 nm (synchrotron) | 30 min (thin cells) – 2 h (thick cells) | High resolution with larger fields of view (up to 45 × 60 μm²) and routine correlative FM-SXT workflows. |
