If magnetosomes were located on the outside of the cell rather than inside, the best microscopy technique to visualize them would be Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). AFM is well-suited for imaging surface structures of biological specimens in near-native conditions with high spatial resolution, typically at the nanometer scale. It has been successfully used to visualize the surface configuration and molecular organization of isolated magnetosomes, revealing details such as the organic layer and associated proteins on the magnetosome surface
. Unlike transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which requires thin sectioning and is ideal for internal structures, AFM can scan the external surface topography of samples without extensive preparation or sectioning. Additionally, Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM), a variant of AFM, can be used to characterize the magnetic properties of magnetosomes on surfaces, providing magnetic imaging at the nanoscale
. In summary:
- For internal magnetosomes: Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is ideal due to its ability to image internal ultrastructure at high resolution.
- For magnetosomes on the cell surface: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), including Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM), is better suited to visualize and characterize surface-localized magnetosomes in their near-native state
This approach avoids the sample preparation challenges of TEM and allows direct imaging of surface features and magnetic properties.
