Ultrastructure in cell biology: Do we still need it?

Abstract

John Heuser is being honored in this special issue for his enormous contributions to cell biology using morphological approaches. Foremost in this context is his ability to use light and electron microscopy to visualize structures and processes such that the information has both scientific and artistic value. The beauty of his images helps to focus the observer more intensely on the scientific messages, which have been numerous and important. His recent studies of living cells using state-of-the-art light and video microscopy fits into a general pattern of a huge explosion in the application of these methods worldwide that is revolutionizing cell biology. However, whereas John Heuser continues to use light microscopy (LM) for a low-resolution global and dynamical overview he then moves on to the electron microscopy (EM) level to see the details; in this he is - unfortunately - in a minority; and EM is an approach that a majority of today's cell biologists never use. The continued drop in EM usage has already been articulated in recent reviews. Here, I suggest that an additional problem for EM in cell biology, in its continued crises, is the declining number of scientists who can confidently interpret the - admittedly - complex information in most electron micrographs of cells. A major re-education is needed, or cell biology as a discipline will have a real problem in the 21st century.