Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy for Nanoparticle-Cell Interaction and Protein Localization

Various silica-based fluorescent nanoparticles ((Si-FNP)) with magnetic or metal cores represent a standard class of nanoparticles offering new opportunities for high-resolution cellular imaging and biomedicine applications, such as drug delivery. Their high solubility, homogeneity, biocompatibility, and chemical inertness Si-FNPs make them attractive probes for correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) studies, offering novel insights into nanoparticle-cell interactions in detail. In the present chapter, we present a procedure for imaging silica-based fluorescent magnetic core-shell nanoparticles (Si-FMNP) at the single-particle scale in cells. Our method facilitates the acquisition of information on the extracellular and intercellular distribution of nanoparticles and their various interactions with various cellular organelles when cells are cultured and electroporated by NPs. In addition, such information could facilitate the evaluation of the efficacy of nanocarriers designed for drug delivery.