Imaging Fully Hydrated Whole Cells by Coherent X-Ray Diffraction Microscopy

Nanoscale imaging of biological specimens in their native condition is of long-standing interest, in particular with direct, high resolution views of internal structures of intact specimens, though as yet progress has been limited. Here we introduce wet coherent x-ray diffraction microscopy capable of imaging fully hydrated and unstained biological specimens. Whole cell morphologies and internal structures better than 25 nm can be clearly visualized without contrast degradation. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.098103