Editorial

• Computational Methods for Three-Dimensional Electron Microscopy (3DEM).

JJ Fernández, A Martínez-Sánchez.

Comput Methods Programs Biomed 225:107039, 2022.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpb.2022.107039

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Short version

Recent revolutionary advancements have established three-dimensional electron microscopy (3DEM) as an essential structural tool for biomedical research. The 3DEM modalities cover different sample volumes and length scales that make them specific for the target investigation. Single particle cryo-EM, awarded with 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, allows 3D structure determination of isolated proteins and macromolecules of biomedical relevance at (near-)atomic resolution and has exciting potential for facilitating drug design. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) enables in situ 3D visualization of the macromolecules and their interactions in their unperturbed cellular environment at close-to-nanometer resolution. Electron tomography (ET) facilitates the 3D structural analysis of tissues, cells and organelles at a resolution of a few nanometers from samples sub-half-micron thick. Large Volume EM techniques (e.g. SBF/SEM, FIB/SEM, cryo-FIB/SEM) allow ultrastructural analysis of cells and tissues in their native spatial context with unlimited thickness and at an unprecedented nanoscale detail, which make them exceedingly beneficial for biomedical research. Furthermore, these 3DEM techniques can be combined through multiscale integrative/correlative approaches so as to enable a comprehensive description of the ultrastructure and the alterations under pathological conditions.

The computational methods constitute an essential component of these imaging techniques and have played a major role in the current position of 3DEM. Future developments are expected to have a profound impact in tackling the current challenges and further promoting the application of 3DEM to biomedicine and health research.

This special issue on 3DEM aims to present original computational innovations that will contribute to the advancement of the 3DEM modalities and their application to biomedical research.

Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine is a well-established journal (Impact Factor 7.027; Q1 in Computer Science, Theory and Methods; Q1 in Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications) that welcomes new computing methods applied to biomedicine and intends to serve from biologists and biochemists to engineers and computer scientists.

We are most grateful to scientists of the 3DEM field who have participated in the peer review process by providing constructive comments to improve the submissions. This special issue would not have been possible without their invaluable help and time. These scientists are also considered as contributors to this special issue:

• Arganda-Carreras, Ignacio. University of the Basque Country, Spain.

• Bartesaghi, Alberto. Duke University, USA.

• Brubaker, Marcus. York University, Canada.

• Cianfrocco, Michael. University of Michigan, USA.

• Connell, Sean. Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain.

• Cossio, Pilar. Flatiron Institute, USA.

• Gao, Xin. King Abdullah Univ. Sci. Tech. (KAUST), Saudi Arabia.

• Grant, Timothy. Morgridge Institute, UW-Madison, USA.

• Heymann, J. Bernard. Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NIH, USA.

• Kruggel, Frithjof. University of California, Irvine, USA.

• Li, Yilai. University of Michigan, USA.

• Nguyen, Nguyen P. University of Missouri, USA.

• Paul-Gilloteaux, Perrine. Nantes University. France.

• Scheres, Sjors. MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK.

• Serna, Marina. Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO). Spain.

• Xu, Min. Carnegie Mellon University, USA.

• Zhang, Fa. Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

• Zhang, Teng. University of Central Florida, USA.

• and other reviewers that remain anonymous.