Cryo–electron microscopy, or simply cryo-EM, refers mainly to three very different yet closely related techniques: electron crystallography, single-particle cryo-EM, and electron cryotomography. In the past few years, single-particle cryo-EM in particular has triggered a revolution in structural biology and has become a newly dominant discipline. This Review examines the fascinating story of its start and evolution over the past 40-plus years, delves into how and why the recent technological advances have been so groundbreaking, and briefly considers where the technique may be headed in the future.

中文翻译：

---

单粒子冷冻电镜——它是怎么来的，又会去哪里

冷冻电子显微镜或简称冷冻 EM，主要是指三种截然不同但又密切相关的技术：电子晶体学、单粒子冷冻 EM 和电子冷冻断层扫描。在过去的几年里，尤其是单粒子冷冻电镜引发了结构生物学的一场革命，并成为新的主导学科。这篇评论回顾了它在过去 40 多年里的开始和演变的迷人故事，深入探讨了最近的技术进步如何以及为什么如此具有开创性，并简要考虑了该技术未来的发展方向。