Visualizing biology from atoms to cells

This dissertation is an investigation of how cellular structure relates to biochemical function. The research encompasses several projects which all required the use of a transmission electron microscope to obtain the necessary structural data as these samples were not amenable to NMR or X-ray crystallography. This presented results span the spectrum of dimensions relative to life sciences from studying individual atoms to whole cells.; This dissertation begins with an overview of the history of Transmission Electron Microscopy and sample preparation techniques relevant to structural biology. The following sections highlight the methods used for obtaining both two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures of individual proteins and whole cells as well as new technology for improving the resolution attained. The final section is a discussion of the future directions and implications of this research.