With the rapid increase and accessibility of high-resolution imaging technologies of cells, the interpretation of results relies more and more on the assumption that the three-dimensional integrity of the surrounding cellular landscape is not compromised by the experimental setup. However, the only available technology for directly probing the structural integrity of whole-cell preparations at the nanoscale is electron cryo-tomography, which is time-consuming, costly, and complex. We devised an accessible, inexpensive and reliable screening assay to quickly report on the compatibility of experimental protocols with preserving the structural integrity of whole-cell preparations at the nanoscale. Our Rapid Cell Integrity Assessment (RCIA) assay is executed at room temperature and relies solely on light microscopy imaging. Using cellular electron cryo-tomography as a benchmark, we verify that RCIA accurately unveils the adverse impact of reagents and/or protocols such as those used for virus inactivation or to arrest dynamic processes on the cellular nanoarchitecture.

随着细胞高分辨率成像技术的迅速增加和可及性，结果的解释越来越依赖于周围细胞景观的三维完整性不受实验装置影响的假设。然而，在纳米尺度上直接探测全细胞制剂结构完整性的唯一可用技术是电子冷冻断层扫描，它既费时、成本高又复杂。我们设计了一种易于使用、廉价且可靠的筛选方法，以快速报告实验方案与在纳米级保持全细胞制剂结构完整性的兼容性。我们的快速细胞完整性评估 (RCIA) 测定在室温下执行，完全依赖光学显微镜成像。