Trends and prospects of bio-medical electron microscopy

Prognostic ideas of the development of the bio-medical electron microscopy in the forthcoming decades to the 21st century include following points: 1. Development and improvement of electron microscopes with which one and the same point of a tissue section can be analysed in a wide spectrum of magnifications ranging from optical light microscopic to molecular level. 2. Element analysis on a large scale and 3-dimensional analysis of a wide range of electron microscopes, including the 100 kV standard model, high-voltage electron microscopes as well as intermediary electron microscopes of 200 kV to 400 kV with complementary devices. 3. Expansion of procedures for computerised image analysis for representation, modelling, and simulation of macromolecules and other particles. 4. Improvement of both the chemical and physical aspects of fixation and embedding methods (freezing procedures) for the purpose of getting closer to in situ conditions of cells and tissues. 5. Persistent enhancement of methods of immunocytochemistry and genetic engineering at supramolecular and molecular levels, including their combination with appropriate hardware configurations for analysis of normal and pathological life processes. 6. The electron microscope will continue to keep its established position in medical diagnosis as well as in the assessment of ultrastructural alterations in the course of diseases. This position will be strengthened and expanded, and the electron microscope will thus play a role in scientifically substantiated therapy.